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The article discusses research on the role of written patient education in the reduction of antibiotic use in adult outpatients with acute bronchitis. It references a study by J. Macfarlane et al published in the 2002 issue of the "British Medical Journal." A total of 259 patients, who were required to have acute cough and at least 1 other respiratory tract symptom, were recruited from 3 general practices in Nottingham, England. Among the outcomes measured included whether the patient took the prescribed antibiotic and the number of patients requiring a second office visit within a month for the same illness. Findings show that 49 patients who received the information sheet took their antibiotics compared with 63 control patients.