"Misconceptions about the appropriate treatment of colds are predictive of increased health service utilization. Targeted educational interventions for families may reduce inappropriate antibiotic-seeking behavior and unnecessary health service utilization for colds."
This article reminds us that many parents beleive that bacteria cause colds, and that colds get better with antibiotics. Office visits are therefore more frequent in the context of such beliefs.
Trouble is … with fee-for-service healthcare, we have no clear incentive to correct this. In a way, there remains a disincentive to adequate education.
