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Clínic Barcelona

Online training achieves important reductions in primary-care antibiotic prescribing

GRACE is a Network of Excellence funded by the European Commission focusing on the complex and controversial field of community-acquired lower respiratory tract infections. This initiative, which counts with the support of IDIBAPS and Hospital Clínic of Barcelona, combats antimicrobial resistance through integrating centers of research excellence. The IDIBAPS team Applied research in infectious respiratory diseases, critically ill patients and lung cancer, led by Prof. Antoni Torres, participated in a work published by The Lancet showing that internet training achieved important reductions in antibiotic prescribing for respiratory-tract infections across language and cultural boundaries. More information leads to better treatment decisions.

The present work assessed whether internet-based training methods could alter prescribing practices in multiple health-care systems. To do so, primary-care practices in six European countries were randomised into the four groups: usual care; training in the use of a C-reactive protein (CRP) test at point of care; training in enhanced communication skills; or training in both CRP and enhanced communication. After randomisation, data from 4264 patients showed that he antibiotic prescribing rate was lower with CRP training (33%) than without (48%) and with enhanced-communication training (36%) than without (45%). The combined intervention was associated with the greatest reduction in prescribing rate.

Article Reference: Little P, Stuart B, Francis N, Douglas E, Tonkin-Crine S, Anthierens S, Cals JW, Melbye H, Santer M, Moore M, Coenen S, Butler C, Hood K, Kelly M, Godycki-Cwirko M, Mierzecki A, Torres A, Llor C, Davies M, Mullee M, O'Reilly G, van der Velden A, Geraghty AW, Goossens H, Verheij T, Yardley L; GRACE consortium. Effects of internet-based training on antibiotic prescribing rates for acute respiratory-tract infections: a multinational, cluster, randomised, factorial, controlled trial. Lancet. 2013 Oct 5;382(9899):1175-82. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(13)60994-0. Epub 2013 Jul 31. Article Abstract