Is untargeted educational outreach visiting delivered by pharmaceutical advisers effective in primary care? A pragmatic randomized controlled trial
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>There is increasing evidence that clinical guidelines can lead to improvements in clinical care. However, they are not self-implementing. While educational outreach visits may improve prescribing behaviour, the effectiveness of routi...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMC
2007-07-01
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| Series: | Implementation Science |
| Online Access: | http://www.implementationscience.com/content/2/1/23 |
| _version_ | 1818114323191431168 |
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| author | Whitty Paula M Steen Ian N Eccles Martin P Hall Lesley |
| author_facet | Whitty Paula M Steen Ian N Eccles Martin P Hall Lesley |
| author_sort | Whitty Paula M |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>There is increasing evidence that clinical guidelines can lead to improvements in clinical care. However, they are not self-implementing. While educational outreach visits may improve prescribing behaviour, the effectiveness of routine delivery of these visits by existing pharmaceutical advisers is unknown.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Within a pragmatic randomized controlled trial, involving all general practices in two primary care trusts (PCTs), routine methods were used to distribute guidelines for the choice of antidepressants for the management of depression. Intervention practices were offered two visits (most accepted only one) by their PCT pharmaceutical adviser who had been trained in the techniques of outreach visiting. Intervention practices were visited regardless of whether they had prior problems with prescribing ('untargeted' visits). The intervention was evaluated using level three prescribing analysis and cost (PACT) data for antidepressant drugs for the six months during which the intervention was delivered and the subsequent twelve months.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Across the 72 study practices there was no significant impact of the intervention on usage of any group of antidepressant drugs.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The routine use of untargeted educational outreach visiting delivered by existing pharmaceutical advisers may not be a worthwhile strategy.</p> <p>Trial registration</p> <p>ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00393536</p> |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-11T03:48:54Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c6f464dfcdf14ecd88cd8683d0ff05ca |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1748-5908 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-11T03:48:54Z |
| publishDate | 2007-07-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Implementation Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-c6f464dfcdf14ecd88cd8683d0ff05ca2022-12-22T01:21:57ZengBMCImplementation Science1748-59082007-07-01212310.1186/1748-5908-2-23Is untargeted educational outreach visiting delivered by pharmaceutical advisers effective in primary care? A pragmatic randomized controlled trialWhitty Paula MSteen Ian NEccles Martin PHall Lesley<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>There is increasing evidence that clinical guidelines can lead to improvements in clinical care. However, they are not self-implementing. While educational outreach visits may improve prescribing behaviour, the effectiveness of routine delivery of these visits by existing pharmaceutical advisers is unknown.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Within a pragmatic randomized controlled trial, involving all general practices in two primary care trusts (PCTs), routine methods were used to distribute guidelines for the choice of antidepressants for the management of depression. Intervention practices were offered two visits (most accepted only one) by their PCT pharmaceutical adviser who had been trained in the techniques of outreach visiting. Intervention practices were visited regardless of whether they had prior problems with prescribing ('untargeted' visits). The intervention was evaluated using level three prescribing analysis and cost (PACT) data for antidepressant drugs for the six months during which the intervention was delivered and the subsequent twelve months.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Across the 72 study practices there was no significant impact of the intervention on usage of any group of antidepressant drugs.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The routine use of untargeted educational outreach visiting delivered by existing pharmaceutical advisers may not be a worthwhile strategy.</p> <p>Trial registration</p> <p>ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00393536</p>http://www.implementationscience.com/content/2/1/23 |
| spellingShingle | Whitty Paula M Steen Ian N Eccles Martin P Hall Lesley Is untargeted educational outreach visiting delivered by pharmaceutical advisers effective in primary care? A pragmatic randomized controlled trial Implementation Science |
| title | Is untargeted educational outreach visiting delivered by pharmaceutical advisers effective in primary care? A pragmatic randomized controlled trial |
| title_full | Is untargeted educational outreach visiting delivered by pharmaceutical advisers effective in primary care? A pragmatic randomized controlled trial |
| title_fullStr | Is untargeted educational outreach visiting delivered by pharmaceutical advisers effective in primary care? A pragmatic randomized controlled trial |
| title_full_unstemmed | Is untargeted educational outreach visiting delivered by pharmaceutical advisers effective in primary care? A pragmatic randomized controlled trial |
| title_short | Is untargeted educational outreach visiting delivered by pharmaceutical advisers effective in primary care? A pragmatic randomized controlled trial |
| title_sort | is untargeted educational outreach visiting delivered by pharmaceutical advisers effective in primary care a pragmatic randomized controlled trial |
| url | http://www.implementationscience.com/content/2/1/23 |
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