Cluster randomised controlled trial of an educational intervention to optimise antibiotic prescribing for acute cough

ISRCTN	ISRCTN09811591
DOI	https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN09811591
Secondary identifying numbers	N/A

Prospectively registered

Protocol

Statistical analysis plan

Results

Individual participant data

Plain English summary of protocol

Not provided at time of registration

Mr Samuel Coenen
Scientific

Centre for General Practice
University of Antwerp
Universiteitsplein 1
Antwerp
B-2610
Belgium

Phone	+32 (0)3 820 25 25
Email	samuel.coenen@ua.ac.be

Study design	Randomised controlled trial
Primary study design	Interventional
Secondary study design	Randomised controlled trial
Study setting(s)	GP practice
Study type	Treatment
Scientific title
Study objectives	This study aims to establish a valid estimate of the effect of perceived patient demand on General Practitioners (GPs) antibiotic prescribing, specifically for patients consulting with acute cough as one of the most prominent complaints, and to contribute to the necessary understanding of this complex prescription decision.
Ethics approval(s)	This study was approved by the medical ethics committee of the University of Antwerp (A99-088).
Health condition(s) or problem(s) studied	Acute cough
Intervention	Only the GPs in the intervention group received our guideline for the management of acute cough, followed by an educational outreach visit to discuss the implementation of the guideline and a postal reminder with the key message of the guideline.
Intervention type	Other
Primary outcome measure	The antibiotic prescribing rate by GPs for adult patients with acute cough.
Secondary outcome measures	1. Type of antibiotics prescribed, if any 2. Change in antibiotic prescribing affecting symptom resolution
Overall study start date	01/01/2000
Completion date	01/01/2002

Participant type(s)	Patient
Age group	Adult
Lower age limit	18 Years
Sex	Both
Target number of participants	85 Flemish GPs
Key inclusion criteria	Flemish GPs randomised participants into an intervention and a control group including: 1. Immunocompetent patients 2. Aged 18 - 65 years old 3. With a new or worsening cough present for less than 30 days as (one of the) most prominent complaint(s) and as the reason for a first encounter at the GPs practice
Key exclusion criteria	Not provided at time of registration
Date of first enrolment	01/01/2000
Date of final enrolment	01/01/2002

Centre for General Practice

Antwerp
B-2610
Belgium

University of Antwerp (Belgium)
University/education

Centre for General Practice
Universiteitsplein 1
Antwerp
B-2610
Belgium

Website	http://www.ua.ac.be/
"ROR"	https://ror.org/008x57b05

Research organisation

Fund for Scientific Research, Flanders (Belgium) - Samuel Coenen was research assistant

No information available

The Scientific Society of Flemish General Practitioners (Belgium) - funded the development of the guideline for the management of acute cough

No information available

Intention to publish date
Individual participant data (IPD) Intention to share	No
IPD sharing plan summary	Not provided at time of registration
Publication and dissemination plan	Not provided at time of registration
IPD sharing plan

Output type	Details	Date created	Date added	Peer reviewed?	Patient-facing?
Results article	Results	01/03/2006		Yes	No