Feasibility of a Low-Intensity Intervention to Influence Antibiotic Prescribing Rates Use in Outpatient Settings: A...

Area of Science:

• Infectious Diseases
• Public Health
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Antibiotic overuse contributes to adverse events and resistance.
• Primary care providers (PCPs) may alter prescribing habits with awareness of negative impacts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of comparative feedback and adverse event notifications on PCP antibiotic prescribing for acute respiratory infections.

Main Methods:

• A cluster randomized controlled trial was conducted across 12 Veterans Affairs outpatient clinics.
• Intervention group PCPs received quarterly antibiotic use reports and adverse event alerts.
• Antibiotic prescription rates were compared across preintervention, intervention, and postintervention periods.

Main Results:

• Intervention clinics showed no significant change in antibiotic prescription rates during the preintervention period.
• However, intervention clinics demonstrated significantly lower antibiotic prescription rates during the intervention and postintervention periods compared to control clinics.
• No differences were observed in emergency department visits or hospitalizations between groups.

Conclusions:

• A low-intensity intervention combining comparative feedback with adverse event notifications effectively reduced antibiotic prescription rates among PCPs.
• This approach shows promise for improving antibiotic stewardship in primary care settings.