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For the study, researchers analyzed antibiotic prescribing patterns by physicians in 2009. They found that physicians, in deciding whether to prescribe or not, were strongly influenced by epidemiologic context such as recent news reports and public health updates, as well as their recent experience seeing patients with symptoms similar to those indicating febrile respiratory illness.
The researchers concluded physicians need more precise and timely data — such as electronic medical records — to help make more effective treatment decisions.
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