Low-value Chronic Prescription of Acid Reducing Medication Among Dutch General Practitioners

NCT06108817 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: 2022-13579
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 26
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Dyspepsia is a commonly encountered clinical condition in Dutch general practice, which is often treated through the prescription of acid-reducing medication (ARM). However, recent studies indicate that the majority of chronic ARM users lack an indication for their use and that their long-term use is associated with adverse outcomes. A patient-focussed educational intervention was developed aiming to reduce low-value (chronic) use of ARM. This study is a randomized controlled study, evaluating its effect on the low-value chronic prescription of ARM using data from a subset of practices from the Nivel Primary Care Database. The intervention involves distributing an educational waiting room posters and flyers informing both patients and general practitioners (GPs) regarding the appropriate indications for prescription of an ARM for dyspepsia, which also referred to an online decision aid. The interventions' effect is evaluated through calculation of the odds ratio of a patient receiving a low-value chronic ARM prescription over the second half of 2021 and 2022 (i.e. pre-intervention vs. post-intervention).

Conditions

Dyspepsia

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• patients receiving a low-value chronic ARM prescription

  the incidence rate of (inappropriate) chronic ARM prescriptions in the same 6 months before and after the intervention

  4 months

Study Arms (2)

Information material

EXPERIMENTAL

The intervention involved distributing an educational waiting room poster and flyers informing patients regarding the appropriate indications for prescription of an ARM for dyspepsia, which also referred to an online decision aid.

Other: Information material

No information material

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

No intervention

Other: No Intervention

Interventions

Information material OTHER

The intervention consists of the distribution of a poster for the waiting room and flyers to be given to patients aiming to inform both patients and GPs with respect to the correct indications for treatment of dyspepsia. After signing up, practices assigned to the intervention group received a package containing 60 flyers and one waiting room poster to use during consultations. The flyer and poster provide a short description of the correct indications for treatment of dyspepsia. Additionally, both the flyers and posters contained a QR-code linking to a decision aid explaining the correct indications and causes of dyspepsia.

Information material

No Intervention OTHER

These practices do not receive information material

No information material

Eligibility Criteria

• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• the pool of practices that provide their registration data to the Nivel

You may not qualify if:

• None

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Radboud University Medical Center: lead

Study Sites (1)

Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, IQ healthcare

Nijmegen, 6500 HB, Netherlands

Location

Related Publications (1)

• Muskens JLJM, van Dulmen SA, Hek K, Westert GP, Kool RB. Low-value chronic prescription of acid reducing medication among Dutch general practitioners: impact of a patient education intervention. BMC Prim Care. 2024 Apr 4;25(1):106. doi: 10.1186/s12875-024-02351-2.

  PMID: 38575887 DERIVED

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Dyspepsia

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Signs and Symptoms, Digestive; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: HEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Model Details: randomized controlled study

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: October 19, 2023
• First Posted: October 31, 2023
• Study Start: July 1, 2022
• Primary Completion: October 31, 2022
• Study Completion: October 1, 2023
• Last Updated: November 2, 2023

Record last verified: 2023-10

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

NL (1)