Increasing adherence to a community-based guideline for acute sinusitis through education, physician profiling, and financial incentives.
OBJECTIVE
To implement a large-scale multifaceted intervention consisting of physician education, profiling, and a financial incentive, to improve treatment quality for acute sinusitis.


METHODS
Cohort trial using a historical control of treatment patterns among approximately 500 internists, 200 family practitioners, and 200 pediatricians in a northeastern community-wide individual practice association.


METHODS
Episode treatment group methods were adapted to identify cases (episodes) and to assess care patterns for acute sinusitis among 420,000 health maintenance organization patients seen between January 1, 1999, and December 31, 2001. The intervention consisted of care pathway development, physician and patient education, physician profiling, and a financial incentive.


RESULTS
A statistical process control chart showed a shift toward recommended treatment patterns after our intervention. The rate of exceptions per episode of acute sinusitis decreased 20%, from 326 exceptions per 1000 episodes between January 1, 1999, and October 31, 2000, to 261 between November 1, 2000, and December 31, 2001. Decreased use of less effective or inappropriate antibiotics accounted for most of the change (199 to 136 exceptions per 1000 episodes [32% change]). Azithromycin use decreased 30%, from 97 to 68 prescriptions per 1000 episodes. Firstline antibiotic (amoxicillin and doxycycline) use increased 14%, from 451 to 514 prescriptions per 1000 episodes. Inappropriate radiology use decreased 20%, from 15 to 12 per 1000 episodes. These changes were significant at P < .005.


CONCLUSIONS
A multifaceted program, including education, physician profiling with actionable recommendations, and a financial incentive, significantly increased physicians' adherence to a community-developed care pathway and was successful at improving adherence to recommended patterns of antibiotic use in acute sinusitis.
Greene
Robert A
RA
Rochester Individual Practice Association, Inc, NY 14623, USA. rgreene@ripa.org
Beckman
Howard
H
Chamberlain
John
J
Partridge
Greg
G
Miller
Marla
M
Burden
Diane
D
Kerr
Jamie
J
D000208:Acute Disease; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015331:Cohort Studies; D019983:Guideline Adherence; D006279:Health Maintenance Organizations; D006302:Health Services Research; D006801:Humans; D009518:New York / Q000453:epidemiology; D010816:Physician Incentive Plans; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000592:standards*; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D012852:Sinusitis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents