Table 1

Themes influencing antibiotic prescribing decisions

Theme	Subthemes
Clinician experience, confidence and support	Challenges of decision-making in the face of a new disease
	Clinician seniority
	Clinicians’ attitude to risk
	Clinicians’ attitude to antimicrobial stewardship
	Clinicians’ feelings of helplessness—new disease and no specific treatments
Situational factors	Timing of initial prescription
	Availability of resources
	The role of laboratory tests Introducing the PCT test in a new context How the tests contribute to the decision The role of PCT and other blood tests in reviewing and stopping antibiotics How laboratory tests were integrated into protocolised care
Organisational influences	Where a patient sits on the patient journey
Organisational influences	Evidence-based guidelines