Relative Importance of Factors for Physicians Who Prescribe and Do Not Prescribe Corticosteroids for Musculoskeletal Injuries.
| Physician Factor | Mean Likert Score* |
|---|---|
| Prescribe corticosteroids | |
| Severity of injury | 3.82 |
| Failure of modalities (ice, electric stimulation, etc) | 3.30 |
| Failure of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medication | 3.24 |
| Urgency of return to play for athlete | 3.09 |
| Failure of rehabilitative exercises | 3.09 |
| Failure of relative rest | 2.96 |
| Level of play of athlete | 2.86 |
| Do not prescribe corticosteroids | |
| Lack of medical literature regarding efficacy | 4.27 |
| Lack of consensus on indications for use | 4.13 |
| Fear of side effects | 3.81 |
* In which 0 = unimportant factor and 5 = very important factor.