Find out more via: doi.org/10.31234/osf... (6/6)

These findings highlight the importance of promoting transparency and designing healthcare environments that reduce opportunities for information avoidance to encourage appropriate antibiotic prescribing. (5/6)

Using a behavioral decision-making task, we found clear evidence: when faced with diagnostic uncertainty, many healthcare professionals chose not to resolve it, leading to higher rates of immediate antibiotic prescribing. (4/6)

Our study (N = 698, US/UK) explored whether willful ignorance—the active avoidance of information about potential negative consequences of one’s actions—contributes to this behavior. (3/6)

Despite understanding the risks of antibiotic resistance, overprescription remains common, especially under diagnostic uncertainty and patient pressure. (2/6)

Healthcare professionals play a key role in antibiotic prescribing, often navigating a social dilemma between prioritizing patients’ short-term demands and safeguarding the long-term effectiveness of antibiotics. (1/6)