Optimizing Helicobacter pylori therapy through gastroenterologist education: A prospective interventional study

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Medical Education
• Infectious Disease Management

Background:

• Professionalism in diagnosing and treating Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infections is critical for effective eradication therapy.
• Physicians play a pivotal role in H. pylori eradication success.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of a single training course focused on H. pylori eradication therapy.
• To assess the impact of professional training on gastroenterologists' H. pylori treatment outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Prospective, before-and-after, non-randomized interventional study using real-world data.
• Physicians enrolled 25 patients pre-training and 25 post-training, comparing outcomes.
• Primary outcome: H. pylori eradication rate comparison before and after the educational intervention.

Main Results:

• H. pylori eradication rates significantly improved post-training (intention-to-treat: 58.6% vs 71.6%; per-protocol: 81.2% vs 88.6%).
• Therapy standardization (71.0% vs 89.6%) and patient review rates (71.4% vs 80.4%) also showed significant improvement.
• No significant change in adverse reaction documentation rates was observed (21.0% vs 21.2%).
• Physicians with less experience and lower baseline eradication rates showed greater benefit from training.

Conclusions:

• A single training course can enhance H. pylori eradication rates in physicians.
• The training improved therapy standardization and patient review rates.
• Educational interventions are valuable for optimizing H. pylori treatment protocols.