Bridging perspectives on antimicrobial resistance: a survey of Belgian general practitioners, dentists, and infectious disease specialists.

INTRODUCTION

Antibiotics revolutionized medicine, but their overuse has led to antimicrobial resistance (AMR), a major global public health threat. Globally, ambulatory antibiotic consumption remains high despite ongoing antimicrobial stewardship initiatives. This study explored the perceptions and approaches of Belgian general practitioners (GPs), dentists, and infectious disease (ID) specialists toward AMR and antibiotic prescribing, with the aim of identifying challenges and opportunities relevant to broader stewardship efforts.

METHODS

A self-designed questionnaire was distributed via email to Belgian GPs, ID specialists, and dentists between July 2023 and February 2024. It assessed demographics, perceptions of AMR, prescribing behavior, proposed solutions, and willingness for collaboration. Exploratory logistic regression analysis was performed for selected key questions.

RESULTS

A total of 260 participants were included: 104 GPs, 103 dentists, and 53 ID specialists. Most agreed that AMR poses a serious threat to Belgian healthcare and acknowledged their contribution to the problem. Around half admitted to occasional inappropriate prescribing, mainly driven by prevention concerns and fear of complications. Interdisciplinary collaboration was widely endorsed as key to improving antibiotic use, and education was the most preferred intervention to enhance prescribing practices.

CONCLUSION

This study highlights both shared concerns and differing perspectives regarding AMR among three major outpatient stakeholders involved in antibiotic use. Despite broad awareness of AMR, important gaps remain in stewardship knowledge, prescribing perceptions, and confidence in current interventions. To our knowledge, this is among the first studies to directly compare GPs, dentists, and ID specialists within a single framework.