A follow-up study recently released in JAMA suggests stopping behavioral interventions aimed at reducing inappropriate antibiotic prescribing may actually cause a rebound in prescribing rates. Two interventions — accountable justification and peer comparison — were associated with reductions in inappropriate antibiotic prescribing for adults with acute respiratory infections in the original randomized trial.
Prescribing rates in the 12 months after the interventions were stopped has increased from 6.1 percent to 10.2 percent in the accountable justification group and from 4.8 percent to 6.3 percent in the peer comparison group. Researchers conclude that “institutions exploring behavioral interventions to influence clinician decision-making should consider applying them long-term.”
Great Plains QIN has professionals working in our region to assist practitioners, pharmacists and health systems in the implementation of coordinated interventions designed to improve and measure the appropriate use of antimicrobials by promoting the selection of the optimal antimicrobial drug regimen, dose, duration of therapy and route of administration. Visit our website to learn more.