Choosing Tests Wisely in Rheumatology

Lawson Health Research Institute

Status: Completed

Conditions: SLE

Treatments: Other: Choosing Wisely form

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03240536

109363

Details and patient eligibility

About

This is a randomized study intended to produce a reduction in ordering of inappropriate tests by general practitioners as determined by recommendations from the CRA's Choosing Wisely guidelines. This reduction of inappropriate testing is expected in referrals to the rheumatologists randomized to the intervention group. This study will further explore which recommendations from the Canadian Rheumatology Association (CRA)/Canada Choosing Wisely campaign have the most impact on regional referring physicians to the Rheumatology clinic at St. Joseph's Hospital, London.

Full description

This a randomized study in that 6 rheumatologists (30 referrals each) will be randomized to one of two groups: intervention or control. Referring physicians to the intervention group will be faxed a brief Choosing Wisely form (intervention) based upon the recommendations of the Canadian Rheumatology Association's (CRA) Canada Choosing Wisely campaign, while referring physicians from the control group will not receive the form (non intervention). Analysis will be based upon the results of a three question survey faxed to all referring physicians at year one and at year two and on future referrals from the referring physicians to determine if there is a reduction in the group of ordering physicians that received the intervention (Choosing Wisely form).

Enrollment: 638 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Ordering physicians who recently made a referral to the Rheumatology clinic at St. Joseph's Health Care.

Exclusion criteria

• N/A, all recent referrals will be included.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Health Services Research

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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638 participants in 2 patient groups

Intervention Group

Experimental group

Description:

Ordering physicians who have referred to a rheumatologist in the St. Joseph's rheumatology clinic randomized to the intervention group will receive a brief Choosing Wisely form (for education of guidelines) faxed with the referral notice. At one and two years all ordering physicians will receive by fax a three question survey.

Treatment:

Other: Choosing Wisely form

Control Group

No Intervention group

Description:

Ordering physicians who have referred to rheumatologists in the control group will not receive the Choosing Wisely form. At one and two years all ordering physicians will receive by fax a three question survey.