Health professionals know all about antibiotic resistance – but the public know and understand little, researchers warned today.
A series of interviews in major cities found that most people believe the term means that body becomes resistant to antibiotics – not the microbes.
Researchers say that professionals should start talking about "drug-resistant infections" – rather than antibiotic resistance.
The findings could explain why people fail to finish courses of treatment – because they think their bodies are becoming resistant.
The Wellcome Trust researchers, based in London, UK, also found few people who thought they could overuse antibiotics.
The study in the UK found that many people feel that an antibiotic prescription confirms they have not wasted the doctor’s time.
The findings come from a series of interviews with eight pairs of friends in Manchester and London.
These were followed by discussions with wider groups in London and Birmingham.
Mark Henderson, of the Wellcome Trust, said: “Wider awareness of the problem of drug-resistant infections could be an important part of the solution, as people who appreciate the issue should be more likely to accept medical advice when antibiotics aren’t the right option for them.
"It was encouraging to see that a small shift in language, from ‘antibiotic resistance’ to ‘drug-resistant infections’, could do so much to build this understanding."
Royal College of GPs chair Dr Maureen Baker said: "When diseases become resistant to antibiotics, it means that antibiotics will cease to work and as it stands, we don’t have an alternative. It also means that patients who are already ill with other conditions will become more susceptible to infection.
"People must realise that this is dangerous for each and every one of us, not just ‘other people’.
"This research is worrying because it shows that despite our efforts, we are failing at getting this message across to those who most need to realise it – our patients."
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