title: Results of a 12-month quality-circle prescribing improvement programme for GPs.
abstract: The impact of a quality-circle GP prescribing improvement programme, implemented in France in 2001-2002, was assessed by a controlled study. The study involved all 27 GPs of three semi-rural areas of Brittany, France. Practice data (overall prescribing cost and markers of prescribing efficiency) were collated in an intention-to-treat analysis, using the Mann-Whitney U test. Twenty-four GPs attended the meetings regularly. The reduction in drug expenditure exceeded the cost of the programme, although variations in size effects were observed among the settings.
authors.affiliation: Department de Santé Publique, Faculté de Médicine, Université de Rennes, Rennes, France. francoise.riou@univ-rennes1.fr
authors.forename: Françoise
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Riou
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Piette
authors.forename: Gérard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Durand
authors.forename: Jacques
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chaperon
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016527:Drug Costs; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005194:Family Practice / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005602:France; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008332:Management Quality Circles; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012423:Rural Health