Article
Antibiotic use among Turkish migrants in Germany: knowledge, attitudes and patient-provider interaction
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Authors
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Fabian Erdsiek
- Technische Universität Chemnitz, Chemnitz, Germany
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Patrick Brzoska
- Technische Universität Chemnitz, Chemnitz, Germany
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Tugba Aksakal
- Technische Universität Chemnitz, Chemnitz, Germany
| Published: | December 5, 2017 |
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Outline
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Background: Irrational use of medicines, or more specifically antibiotics, is one of the major global health issues. Turkey is ranked as one of the countries with the highest consumption of antibiotics in Europe. Limited health literacy, self-medication, prior experiences and high subjective need may also contribute to extensive and often irrational use of antibiotics among Turkish migrants. Research on the use of antibiotics among Turkish migrants is limited. This study aimed to examine attitudes among Turkish migrants in Germany towards antibiotics, their knowledge about rational drug use and their respective interaction with health professionals.
Materials and Methods: A qualitative study design was used to identify patterns of patient-provider interaction, knowledge about rational drug use and attitudes towards antibiotics among Turkish migrants in Germany. Data were collected from two focus groups with Turkish migrants (n=11), four expert interviews with family physicians and five interviews with pharmacists. The qualitative data was analyzed by means of content analysis.
Results: Turkish respondents favored intake of antibiotics only when prescribed by a doctor and were opposed to extensive use. Motives for requesting antibiotics specifically were related to positive experience, either personal or by close friends and relatives. Older, mainly first generation migrants, showed partially unrealistic expectations of the effect of antibiotics, due to limited knowledge of disease etiology and applicability of antibiotics. According to family physicians, Turkish patients adopt a passive patient role and do not actively request information on dosing schedule, side effects, length of treatment or interaction with other medication. In some cases, Turkish migrant patients obtain these information from pharmacists.
Conclusion: Turkish migrants adopt a passive patient role when interacting with family physicians, which can lead to information deficits. The partial transfer of information acquisition from physicians to pharmacists can lead to communication problems and shifts in responsibility and workload.
