Time of day and the decision to prescribe antibiotics.
Linder JA, Doctor JN, Friedberg MW, et al. Time of day and the decision to prescribe antibiotics. JAMA Intern Med. 2014;174(12):2029-31. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2014.5225.
Unnecessary prescribing of antibiotics for viral conditions can pose patient safety risks. This study found that primary care physicians are more likely to prescribe antibiotics inappropriately toward the end of their clinic session (late morning or late afternoon), which likely represents clinicians' decision fatigue.