Improving Metoclopramide Prescribing Practices at Penn Through a Physician-targeted Intervention

University of Pennsylvania

Status: Completed

Conditions: Diabetic Gastroparesis; Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease

Treatments: Other: intervention letter

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT01126034

UPenn - 802142

Details and patient eligibility

About

The investigators hypothesized that:

1. an intervention targeted at the prescribing physician would increase the rate of a metoclopramide discontinuation among patients prescribed the medication for questionable or unclear indications; and 2) the discontinuation would be durable.

Enrollment: 85 patients

Sex: All

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Physicians at University of Pennsylvania Health System who ordered an active metoclopramide prescription with a questionable indication.

Exclusion criteria

• Physicians-in-training (e.g., residents, fellows)
• Physicians how were investigators on this study
• Physicians serving on the the University of Pennsylvania Drug Use and Effects Committee or Information Technology Oversight Board

Trial design

85 participants in 2 patient groups

intervention

Experimental group

Description:

Physicians in the intervention group were mailed a written feedback letter regarding their patients who were prescribed questionable metoclopramide therapy. Non-intervention providers received no letter. The letter consisted of the following components: 1. The name and medical record # of the patients involved 2. Information regarding the metoclopramide prescription: dates, dosage, indication recorded, and the duration of therapy 3. A reminder of the adverse effect of long-term metoclopramide therapy 4. A recommendation to consider having the patient undergo a trial of metoclopramide discontinuation if appropriate, and documentation of a discussion of risk and benefits of metoclopramide therapy with patients 5. A request that the physician document the discontinuation trial in the electronic medical record

Treatment:

Other: intervention letter

non-intervention

No Intervention group

Description:

No intervention letters were sent to subjects in this arm