Emergency Department Clinicians' Needs for User-Centered Antibiotic Guideline: Insights from a Focus Group Interview.
9 affiliations
- 1School of Medicine, Hanyang University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
- 2Department of Infectious Diseases, National Health Insurance Service Ilsan Hospital, Goyang, Korea.
- 3Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Kyungpook National University Chilgok Hospital, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Korea.
- 4Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, Korea.
- 5Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Inje University Sanggye Paik Hospital, Seoul, Korea.
- 6Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea.
- 7Department of Internal Medicine, Hanyang University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
- 8Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Internal Medicine, Yongin Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Yongin, Korea. [email protected].
- 9Department of Internal Medicine, Hanyang University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. [email protected].
Abstract
Background
Institution-specific antibiotic guidelines are core components of effective antibiotic stewardship programs; however, their practical use in emergency departments (EDs), where empirical antibiotic decisions are made under time pressure and diagnostic uncertainty, remains limited. This study explored ED clinicians' perspectives on antibiotic prescribing and identified key elements for developing ED-specific antibiotic guidelines.Materials and methods
Focus group interviews were conducted between October 12 and October 26, 2022, at four tertiary hospitals in Korea. A total of 16 physicians participating directly in ED antibiotic prescribing were enrolled including Emergency medicine and internal medicine physicians. Interviews were recorded, transcribed and analyzed using thematic analysis by two infectious disease specialists.Results
Clinicians reported substantial challenges in prescribing empirical antibiotics, including diagnostic uncertainty, complex clinical scenarios, and practical prescribing issues such as dosing and administration details. Antibiotic decision-making was influenced by patient-related factors and institutional culture, including department-specific prescribing preferences. Existing antibiotic guidelines were infrequently used due to poor usability and limited applicability to real-world ED practice. Participants emphasized the need for concise, algorithm-based guidelines incorporating practical prescribing information and better integration into clinical workflows.Conclusion
ED clinicians perceived existing antibiotic guidelines as poorly aligned with ED practice. User-centered, institution-specific antibiotic guidelines may enhance applicability and support appropriate empirical antibiotic prescribing in the ED.
Related
- Antibiotic prescribing appropriateness for urinary tract infections in a tertiary emergency department: a retrospective cohort study.
- General practitioners’ perspectives on barriers and facilitators of the implementation of the ANTIBIORESIST antibiotic stewardship audit and feedback intervention: a qualitative interview study among high prescribers
- Meropenem as a non-guideline antibiotic: the factor associated with mortality of mortality in Listeria monocytogenes meningitis
- A bicentric pilot study of apixaban and rivaroxaban quantification using a novel Point-Of-Care system in the emergency department
- Bedtime rumination mediates the burnout-insomnia link and relates to shift adaptation in emergency department staff
BibTeX
@article{kwon2026emergency,
title = {{Emergency Department Clinicians' Needs for User-Centered Antibiotic Guideline: Insights from a Focus Group Interview.}},
author = {Heejeong Kwon and Heun Choi and Soyoon Hwang and Ki Tae Kwon and Song Mi Moon and Myung Jin Lee and Raeseok Lee and Se Yoon Park and Yong Chan Kim and Bongyoung Kim},
journal = {Infection \& chemotherapy},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.3947/ic.2026.0044},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42847633},
note = {CC BY-NC},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Emergency Department Clinicians' Needs for User-Centered Antibiotic Guideline: Insights from a Focus Group Interview.
AU - Heejeong Kwon
AU - Heun Choi
AU - Soyoon Hwang
AU - Ki Tae Kwon
AU - Song Mi Moon
AU - Myung Jin Lee
AU - Raeseok Lee
AU - Se Yoon Park
AU - Yong Chan Kim
AU - Bongyoung Kim
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/01
JO - Infection & chemotherapy
DO - 10.3947/ic.2026.0044
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42847633
AB - Background Institution-specific antibiotic guidelines are core components of effective antibiotic stewardship programs; however, their practical use in emergency departments (EDs), where empirical antibiotic decisions are made under time pressure and diagnostic uncertainty, remains limited. This study explored ED clinicians' perspectives on antibiotic prescribing and identified key elements for developing ED-specific antibiotic guidelines.Materials and methods Focus group interviews were conducted between October 12 and October 26, 2022, at four tertiary hospitals in Korea. A total of 16 physicians participating directly in ED antibiotic prescribing were enrolled including Emergency medicine and internal medicine physicians. Interviews were recorded, transcribed and analyzed using thematic analysis by two infectious disease specialists.Results Clinicians reported substantial challenges in prescribing empirical antibiotics, including diagnostic uncertainty, complex clinical scenarios, and practical prescribing issues such as dosing and administration details. Antibiotic decision-making was influenced by patient-related factors and institutional culture, including department-specific prescribing preferences. Existing antibiotic guidelines were infrequently used due to poor usability and limited applicability to real-world ED practice. Participants emphasized the need for concise, algorithm-based guidelines incorporating practical prescribing information and better integration into clinical workflows.Conclusion ED clinicians perceived existing antibiotic guidelines as poorly aligned with ED practice. User-centered, institution-specific antibiotic guidelines may enhance applicability and support appropriate empirical antibiotic prescribing in the ED.
SN - 2093-2340
SN - 2092-6448
ER -