Geographic Variability in Diagnosis and Antibiotic Prescribing for Acute Respiratory Tract Infections

Introduction: Antibiotic prescribing rates vary substantially across regions in the USA. Whether these differences are driven primarily by a greater tendency to treat certain infections (i.e., overtreatment) in certain regions or differences in the tendency to diagnose certain infections (i.e., overdiagnosis) is poorly understood. Methods: We examined data from 2012 to 2013 using the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, which is a nationally representative sample of visits to office- based physicians. For each of nine geographic regions, we examined the relationship between the visit rate/1000 population for respiratory diagnoses for which antibiotics were prescribed to the visit rate/1000 population for selected respiratory diagnoses where antibiotic therapy may be warranted. Results: The visit rate for all respiratory conditions resulting in an antibiotic prescription was lowest (109/1000 population) in the Pacific Region and highest (176/1000, 95% CI 138-213) in the East South Central Region. The diagnosis rate for selected respiratory conditions where antibiotic therapy may be warranted was also lowest (119/1000, 95% CI 91-147) in the Pacific Region and highest (189/1000, 95% CI 153-225) in the East South Central Region. Conclusion: Antibiotic prescribing rates for respiratory conditions vary by region and are strongly associated with the rate with which selected respiratory conditions are diagnosed.