Antibiotics: a survey examines how patients describe symptoms
· BehindLines newsroom
In a survey published on 30 October in JAMA Network Open, 268 of the 959 adults in the United States included in the analysis say they have at some point exaggerated or invented symptoms to obtain antibiotics. This figure, 27.9%, describes responses within that sample, which is not fully representative of the US population, according to the authors.
What participants report
The questionnaire was offered online from 8 January to 13 February 2026. Volunteers recruited through a commercial panel had to be at least 18 years old and able to read English. The researchers distinguish between exaggerating symptoms people actually experienced and reporting symptoms they did not have.
Among the 268 people concerned, 206 believe they obtained antibiotics this way at least once. These are their recollections, without verification of consultations or any assessment of whether each prescription was necessary.
The authors highlight several limitations: recruitment without random sampling, incomplete representativeness, and answers that may be affected by memory or a desire to present oneself favourably. In their view, these biases may lead people to underreport these behaviours. The authors consider the findings preliminary and useful for generating hypotheses.
Listening without encouraging unnecessary prescriptions
In its account of the research, the University of Utah identifies concrete motivations: feeling very ill, hoping to recover quickly to return to work, or believing antibiotics are the only solution. It also reports a desire to retain control over treatment decisions.
The researchers do not propose responding with widespread suspicion of patients. They want to test conversations that allow people to express these concerns and receive an understandable explanation about prescribing.
The university notes that antibiotics can treat bacterial infections, but do not work against viruses and can cause adverse effects. Their use also contributes to antimicrobial resistance. The issue presented is how to improve trust and the quality of information exchanged, without confusing feeling heard with automatically receiving a medicine.