Academic detailing as a method to improve general practitioners' drug prescribing in type 2 diabetes: evaluation of changes in prescribing

• Published in: Scandinavian journal of primary health care Vol. ahead-of-print; no. ahead-of-print; pp. 1 - 8
• Main Authors: Langaas, Harald Christian, Salvesen, Øyvind, Dyrkorn, Roar, Blix, Hege Salvesen, Spigset, Olav
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Taylor & Francis 01.09.2023; Taylor & Francis LLC; Taylor & Francis Group
• Subjects: academic detailing; antidiabetic drugs; Antidiabetics; Campaigns; continuing medical education; Control groups; Diabetes; Drugs; educational outreach; Family physicians; Glucose; Intervention; Metformin; physician prescribing pattern; Prescribing; Primary care; Sodium; type 2 diabetes; Type 2 diabetes mellitus; type 2 diabetes; academic detailing; educational outreach; physician prescribing pattern; Primary care; antidiabetic drugs; continuing medical education
• ISSN: 0281-3432; 1502-7724; 1502-7724
• DOI: 10.1080/02813432.2023.2222781

To investigate the effect of an academic detailing intervention on the utilisation of type 2 diabetes medication among general practitioners. We developed an academic detailing campaign based on the revised national treatment guideline for diabetes and the best available evidence. General practitioners were offered a 20-minute one-to-one visit by a trained academic detailer. A total of 371 general practitioners received a visit and represented the intervention group. The control group consisted of 1282 general practitioners not receiving a visit. Changes in prescribing from 12 months before to 12 months after the intervention. The primary endpoint was a change in metformin. Secondary endpoints were changes in other groups of Type 2 diabetes medication and of these drugs in total. Prescribing of metformin increased by 7.4% in the intervention group and 5.2% in the control group (p = .043). Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors increased by 27.6% in the intervention group and 33.8% in the control group (p = .019). For sulfonylureas there was a decrease of 3.6% in the intervention group vs. 8.9% in the control group (p = .026). The total amount of prescribed medications for type 2 diabetes increased by 9.1% in the intervention group and 7.3% in the control group (p = .08). Academic detailing initiated a small but statistically significant increase in the prescription of metformin. For a complex subject like type 2 diabetes, we recommend reserving more time in the visit than the 20 min our campaign aimed for.