Trial reportImplementation science : IS2018
The implementation of academic detailing and its effectiveness on appropriate prescribing of pain relief medication: a real-world cluster randomized trial in Belgian general practices.
Trial report in Implementation science : IS, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT01761864 (The Effect of Academic Detailing on Prescribing of Analgesics in Primary Care), which is not on this map. Cited by 10 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
The Effect of Academic Detailing on Prescribing of Analgesics in Primary Care: a Randomised Controlled Trial
Who cites it
10 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Academic Detailing Interventions and Evidence-Based Prescribing: A Systematic Review.JAMA network open · 2025Pooled it
- 'Overhaul Medicare and perhaps train us better': a qualitative study of primary care general practitioners' perspectives on how to implement the low back pain clinical care standards.BMJ public health · 2025Article
- Exploring virtual delivery of academic detailing to general practitioners compared with in-person delivery: a qualitative study.BMJ open quality · 2024Article
- A realist synthesis of educational outreach visiting and integrated academic detailing to influence prescribing in ambulatory care: why relationships and dialogue matter.BMJ quality & safety · 2023Article
- Deciphering patterns of respiratory medication use in Ireland to target interventions appropriately: a focus on COPD.Irish journal of medical science · 2021Article
- Changing prescribing behaviours with educational outreach: an overview of evidence and practice.BMC medical education · 2019Review
- Pharmacist-led academic detailing intervention in primary care: a mixed methods feasibility study.International journal of clinical pharmacy · 2019Article
- Effectiveness of an academic detailing intervention in primary care on the prescribing of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.European journal of clinical pharmacology · 2019Article
- Educational outreach visits to improve knee osteoarthritis management in primary care.BMC medical education · 2019Article
- Academic detailers' and general practitioners' views and experiences of their academic detailing visits to improve the quality of analgesic use: process evaluation alongside a pragmatic cluster randomized controlled trial.BMC health services research · 2017Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundIn Belgium, the debate about the effect of the national academic detailing service (ADS) on prescribing quality in general practice is ongoing. In order to evaluate both the implementation strategies of the ADS and its effectiveness on appropriate prescribing of pain relief medication, we conducted a real-world cluster randomized controlled trial (cRCT).
methodsIn a pragmatic cRCT, all Belgian general practices previously visited by Farmaka were assessed for eligibility and randomized. Only practices randomized to the intervention group were invited for an academic detailing visit on appropriate prescribing of pain relief medication. GPs were unaware of the study, ensuring the production of real-world evidence but were given the option to opt out from the analysis. An objective outcome assessment was obtained using routinely collected reimbursement data. Primary outcomes were the proportion of patients reimbursed for an analgesic or NSAID, the defined daily dose of paracetamol per patient per month, the proportion of patients reimbursed for a recommended NSAID among those reimbursed for any NSAID and the proportion of patients reimbursed for both an NSAID and a proton pump inhibitor among those reimbursed for an NSAID. The impact of practice, GP and academic detailer characteristics were also assessed.
resultsThree thousand five hundred twenty-nine general practices (4530 GPs) were eligible and randomized. One thousand six hundred ninety-eight practices (2171 GPs) in the intervention group and one thousand seven hundred three (2163 GPs) in the control group were included in the analysis. The intervention had a significant impact on the proportion of patients reimbursed for a recommended NSAID among those reimbursed for any NSAID (increase in odds (95% CI): 19% (10-29%)). A clear impact on other outcomes could not be detected. Additionally, we showed that the characteristics of the academic detailers might impact the effectiveness of the visit.
conclusionsNational implementation of academic detailing in Belgian general practices provided by Farmaka significantly improved the proportion of recommended NSAIDs prescribed by GPs, but not other outcomes related to appropriate prescribing of pain relief medication.
trial registrationNCT01761864 . Registered 2 January 2013.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.