Reducing Unnecessary Antibiotic Prescriptions in Primary Healthcare in Saskatchewan by Identifying High Prescribers

NCT ID: NCT05557214

Last Updated: 2023-04-13

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

Get a concise snapshot of the trial, including recruitment status, study phase, enrollment targets, and key timeline milestones.

Recruitment Status

WITHDRAWN

Clinical Phase

NA

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2023-05-31

Study Completion Date

2024-05-31

Brief Summary

Review the sponsor-provided synopsis that highlights what the study is about and why it is being conducted.

Approximately 90% of antibiotics are prescribed in primary healthcare (PHC) in Canada (Public Health Agency of Canada, 2020), making this an important sector for antimicrobial stewardship. Upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) represent a common indication in PHC for which antibiotics are often prescribed unnecessarily (Leis et al, 2020; Schwartz et al., 2020). Reducing unnecessary antibiotic treatment in this sector is a vital part of contributing to minimizing the global burden of antibiotic resistance.

The goal of this research project is to reduce the number of antibiotic prescriptions among family physicians identified as high prescribers in Saskatchewan. To achieve this, the investigators will send letters to the top 25th percentile of high prescribers in PHC. The letters will contain data indicating the prescribers high antimicrobial usage as well as guidance for reducing unnecessary prescriptions and promoting appropriate lengths of prescriptions for upper respiratory tract infections.

Detailed Description

Dive into the extended narrative that explains the scientific background, objectives, and procedures in greater depth.

Conditions

See the medical conditions and disease areas that this research is targeting or investigating.

Upper Respiratory Tract Infections

Study Design

Understand how the trial is structured, including allocation methods, masking strategies, primary purpose, and other design elements.

Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

PREVENTION

Blinding Strategy

NONE

Study Groups

Review each arm or cohort in the study, along with the interventions and objectives associated with them.

Audit and Feedback Letter

This group will receive 2 audit and feedback letters and a study closure letter.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Audit and Feedback Letter

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Physicians in the Audit and Feedback Letter Arm will receive an initial letter indicating their high prescriber status with guidance on reducing unnecessary antimicrobial use. They will also receive a follow-up letter at the 6 month mark indicating any change in prescribing habits. There will be a study closure letter mailed at the 12 month mark.

No Audit and Feedback Letter

This group will only receive a study closure letter.

Group Type NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Interventions

Learn about the drugs, procedures, or behavioral strategies being tested and how they are applied within this trial.

Audit and Feedback Letter

Physicians in the Audit and Feedback Letter Arm will receive an initial letter indicating their high prescriber status with guidance on reducing unnecessary antimicrobial use. They will also receive a follow-up letter at the 6 month mark indicating any change in prescribing habits. There will be a study closure letter mailed at the 12 month mark.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Check the participation requirements, including inclusion and exclusion rules, age limits, and whether healthy volunteers are accepted.

Inclusion Criteria

* must be a practicing family physician in Saskatchewan
* top 25th percentile of antimicrobial prescribers

Exclusion Criteria

* fewer than 12 months of historical prescribing data available
Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sponsors

Meet the organizations funding or collaborating on the study and learn about their roles.

Saskatchewan Health Authority - Regina Area

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

Identify the individual or organization who holds primary responsibility for the study information submitted to regulators.

Jason Vanstone

Research Scientist

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

References

Explore related publications, articles, or registry entries linked to this study.

Leis JA, Born KB, Ostrow O, Moser A, Grill A. Prescriber-led practice changes that can bolster antimicrobial stewardship in community health care settings. Can Commun Dis Rep. 2020 Jan 2;46(1):1-5. doi: 10.14745/ccdr.v46i01a01. eCollection 2020 Jan 2.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 31930218 (View on PubMed)

Schwartz KL, Langford BJ, Daneman N, Chen B, Brown KA, McIsaac W, Tu K, Candido E, Johnstone J, Leung V, Hwee J, Silverman M, Wu JHC, Garber G. Unnecessary antibiotic prescribing in a Canadian primary care setting: a descriptive analysis using routinely collected electronic medical record data. CMAJ Open. 2020 May 7;8(2):E360-E369. doi: 10.9778/cmajo.20190175. Print 2020 Apr-Jun.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 32381687 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

Review additional registry numbers or institutional identifiers associated with this trial.

REB-22-38

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

More Related Trials

Additional clinical trials that may be relevant based on similarity analysis.