Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32982537›Full record

ArticlePragmatic and observational research2020

Patients with Sore Throat: A Survey of Self-Management and Healthcare-Seeking Behavior in 13 Countries Worldwide.

Alike W van der Velden, Aurelio Sessa, Attila Altiner, Antonio Carlos Campos Pignatari, Adrian Shephard

Open access · diamondAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Pragmatic and observational research, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 13 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
13citing papers in PubMed
1.6field-weighted citation impact, top 15% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

13 citing papers in PubMed, 22 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Comparative Effects of Flurbiprofen and Benzydamine on COX-2/PGEInternational journal of molecular sciences · 2026
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  10. Effectiveness and Tolerability of EctoinJournal of clinical medicine · 2023
    Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 5 institutions in 5 countries.

Alike W van der VeldenJulius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Aurelio SessaItalian College of General Practitioners and Primary Care, Florence, Italy.
Attila AltinerInstitute of General Practice, Rostock University Medical Center, Rostock, Germany.
Antonio Carlos Campos PignatariPaulista School of Medicine (EPM), Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil.ORCID 0000-0002-2146-8476
Adrian ShephardReckitt Benckiser Healthcare Ltd, Slough, UK.
Reckitt Benckiser (United Kingdom) · GBSocietà Italiana di Medicina Generale · ITUniversidade Federal de São Paulo · BRUniversity Medical Center Utrecht · NLUniversity of Rostock · DE

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAcute sore throat is one of the most common problems for which patients consult their general practitioner and is a key area for inappropriate antibiotic prescribing. The objective of this study was to investigate patients' attitudes related to healthcare-seeking behavior and self-management of sore throat.

methodsWe conducted an observational, questionnaire-based study across 13 countries (Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, Italy, the Philippines, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Thailand, the UK and the USA) on respondents who reported having had a sore throat in the previous 12 months. Data were collected on their experiences, contact with healthcare professionals, treatment practices and opinions about antibiotics.

resultsA total of 5196 respondents (approximately 400 per country) completed the survey. Over 80% of respondents sought advice for a sore throat, with 30% consulting a general practitioner. The desire to limit the worsening of symptoms was the main reason for seeking treatment. Other reasons concerned resolving persistent symptoms and reducing the impact on daily life/sleep. Self-management for sore throat was mainly medicated sore throat remedies. "Wanting an antibiotic" was rated much lower (55%) than most other reasons for visiting a doctor, but this differed greatly between countries. The percentage of respondents using antibiotics varied widely, for example, 10% in the UK and 45% in Saudi Arabia. There was considerable variation in the proportion of respondents who thought that antibiotics would be effective against sore throat (from 24% in France to 94% in Saudi Arabia).

conclusionsOur findings suggest that knowledge of effective treatments for sore throat varied widely. The results of this study should enable healthcare professionals to better anticipate patients' needs. This will support healthcare professionals in their role as antibiotic stewards, helping to reduce the misuse of antibiotics, and further guiding patients towards symptomatic self-management of sore throat.

Indexed as

community healthdisease managementhealth literacymedicationspharmacyprimary care

Identifiers

PMID32982537
PMCPMC7490072
OpenAlexW3084267524

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.