Quality circles on rational prescribing (project SA4)

ISRCTN	ISRCTN88343067
DOI	https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN88343067
Protocol serial number	N/A
Sponsor	AOK Saxony-Anhalt (Germany)
Funders	AOK sick fund Saxony-Anhalt (Germany), Association of sickness fund doctors (KV) Saxony-Anhalt (Germany)

Submission date: 08/07/2006
Registration date: 28/03/2007
Last edited: 05/01/2021

Recruitment status: No longer recruiting
Overall study status: Completed
Condition category: Other

Prospectively registered

Protocol

Statistical analysis plan

Results

Individual participant data

Plain English summary of protocol

Not provided at time of registration

Contact information

Prof Joachim Szecsenyi
Scientific

AQUA - Institute for Applied Quality Improvement and Research in Health Care
Göttingen
37073
Germany

Study information

Primary study design	Interventional
Study design	Non-randomised, clustered, controlled trial
Secondary study design	Non randomised controlled trial
Scientific title	Quality circles on rational prescribing (project SA4)
Study objectives	Participation of general practitioners in quality circles on rational prescribing, including feedback of prescribing data, leads to improvement of performance.
Ethics approval(s)	The trial is aimed at implementing evidence-based guidelines into general practice. The intervention is based on peer review groups for GPs, evidence based guidelines and individual feedback of prescription data to the GPs. In Germany, by the Social Code Book (SGB V) both the regional associations of statutory sick fund doctors (KV) and the regional statutory sick funds like the AOK are obliged to inform doctors about prescribing and to support them about the use of prescription budgets. In this trial, we tried to optimise implementation of what is already asked by the law and measure the effect against a control group. In a contract signed on June 1st, 2001, between the AOK, the KV (which are both statuatory legal institutions) and the research institute it is formulated that the regulations of the law about data protection and protection of patients are to be followed by all partners. A data approval committee of the KV and AOK gave positive approval of the contract before it was signed.
Health condition(s) or problem(s) studied	N/A
Intervention	Nine meetings of approximately two hours, each in a quality circle (eight to 12 members), individual feedback of own prescribing data compared to all practices in the project and compared to all practices in the control group. Background information on prescription drugs, price-comparison lists based on defined daily doses, evidence-based guidelines of the German College of General Practitioners (DEGAM) and the Drug Committee of the German Chamber of Physicians (AKdÄ).
Intervention type	Other
Primary outcome measure(s)	Mean prescription costs in Euros
Key secondary outcome measure(s)	1. Percentage of patients who received a prescription 2. Percentage of generic drugs prescription of all prescriptions 3. Percentage recommended lipid lowering drugs of all lipid lowering drugs prescriptions 4. Percentage of recommended antibiotics of all antibiotic prescriptions 5. Percentage of recommended antidiabetics of all antidiabetic prescriptions
Completion date	30/08/2004

Eligibility

Participant type(s)	Patient
Age group	Other
Sex	All
Target sample size at registration	120
Key inclusion criteria	1. Convenience sample of General Practitioners (GPs) 2. Patients who were insured by the AOK Saxony Anhalt sick fund and treated by the participating GPs
Key exclusion criteria	Patients who were not insured by the AOK Saxony Anhalt sick fund
Date of first enrolment	01/09/2001
Date of final enrolment	30/08/2004

Locations

Countries of recruitment

Germany

Study participating centre

AQUA - Institute for Applied Quality Improvement and Research in Health Care

Göttingen
37073
Germany

Results and Publications

Individual participant data (IPD) Intention to share	No
IPD sharing plan summary	Not provided at time of registration
IPD sharing plan

Study outputs

Output type	Details	Date created	Date added	Peer reviewed?	Patient-facing?
Results article	results	01/09/2009	05/01/2021	Yes	No
Study website	Study website	11/11/2025	11/11/2025	No	Yes

Editorial Notes

05/01/2021: Publication reference added.