NCT01303263

Brief Summary

OBJECTIVE: To test a brief intervention designed to improve the cost-effectiveness of care provided by medicine housestaff for hospitalized patients. HYPOTHESIS: A brief intervention in which medicine residents receive itemized bills for recent patients cared for by them, followed by a discussion on approaches to reducing unnecessary inpatient costs, can result in significant cost reductions without adversely affecting patient outcomes.

Trial Health

87
On Track

Trial Health Score

Automated assessment based on enrollment pace, timeline, and geographic reach

Enrollment
96

participants targeted

Target at P50-P75 for not_applicable

Timeline
Completed

Started Sep 2009

Geographic Reach
1 country

1 active site

Status
completed

Health score is calculated from publicly available data and should be used for screening purposes only.

Trial Relationships

Click on a node to explore related trials.

Study Timeline

Key milestones and dates

Study Start

First participant enrolled

September 1, 2009

Completed
1.2 years until next milestone

Primary Completion

Last participant's last visit for primary outcome

December 1, 2010

Completed
2 months until next milestone

Study Completion

Last participant's last visit for all outcomes

February 1, 2011

Completed
22 days until next milestone

First Submitted

Initial submission to the registry

February 23, 2011

Completed
1 day until next milestone

First Posted

Study publicly available on registry

February 24, 2011

Completed
Last Updated

June 22, 2011

Status Verified

February 1, 2011

Enrollment Period

1.2 years

First QC Date

February 23, 2011

Last Update Submit

June 21, 2011

Conditions

Keywords

efficiencycost-awarenesshospitalsgraduate medical education

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (4)

  • Total Cost

    Total hospital cost per admission for 2 weeks following the educational intervention.

    2 weeks following educational intervention

  • Lab Cost

    Total lab cost per admission for 2 weeks following the educational intervention.

    2 weeks following educational intervention

  • Pharmacy Cost

    Total pharmacy cost per admission for 2 weeks following the educational intervention.

    2 weeks following educational intervention

  • Radiology Cost

    Total radiology cost per admission for 2 weeks following the educational intervention.

    2 weeks following educational intervention

Secondary Outcomes (4)

  • length of stay

    2 weeks after educational intervention

  • admission to an intensive care unit (ICU)

    2 weeks after educational intervention

  • 30-day readmission

    within 30 days after end of study period

  • 30-day mortality

    within 30 days after end of study period

Study Arms (2)

Intervention Group

OTHER

Residents Randomized to Receive Educational Intervention

Behavioral: Educational Intervention

Control Group

NO INTERVENTION

Residents randomized not to receive a teaching intervention.

Interventions

45-minute teaching session on healthcare costs, in which each resident reviewed an itemized hospital bill for a patient he/she had cared for, followed by an open-ended discussion about reducing unnecessary costs.

Intervention Group

Eligibility Criteria

Sexall
Age GroupsChild (0-17), Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

  • Internal Medicine Residents on Inpatient Rotations at Brigham \& Women's Hospital

You may not qualify if:

  • Having a team member who was in either the control group or intervention group in a prior round of this study.

Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.

Sponsors & Collaborators

Study Sites (1)

Brigham & Women's Hospital

Boston, Massachusetts, 02115, United States

Location

MeSH Terms

Interventions

Early Intervention, Educational

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Child Health ServicesCommunity Health ServicesHealth ServicesHealth Care Facilities Workforce and ServicesPreventive Health Services

Study Officials

  • David Bates, MD

    Brigham and Women's Hospital

    PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
  • Benjamin D Sommers, MD, PhD

    Brigham and Women's Hospital

    STUDY DIRECTOR

Study Design

Study Type
interventional
Phase
not applicable
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Sponsor Type
OTHER

Study Record Dates

First Submitted

February 23, 2011

First Posted

February 24, 2011

Study Start

September 1, 2009

Primary Completion

December 1, 2010

Study Completion

February 1, 2011

Last Updated

June 22, 2011

Record last verified: 2011-02

Locations