title: Effect of publicly reporting performance data of medicine use on injection use: a quasi-experimental study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Inappropriate use of prescribing pharmaceuticals, particularly injections, not only affects the quality of medical care, but also leads to an increase in medical expenses. Publicly reporting performance data of medical care is becoming a common health policy tool adopted to supervise medical quality. To our knowledge, few studies about public reporting applied to medicine use have been reported. This study intended to introduce public reporting in the field of medicine use, and evaluate the effect of publicly reporting performance data of medicine use on the use of injections.
  
  
  METHODS
  The research sites were 20 primary healthcare institutions in Q City, Hubei. By matching, the institutions were divided into the intervention group and control group. A quasi-experimental design was applied in this study. In the intervention group, the performance data of medicine use were publicly reported. The injection prescribing rates of the two groups before and after intervention were measured and compared. Difference-in-difference method and logistic regression were employed to estimate the effect of public reporting on injection use.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Public reporting led to a reduction of approximately 4% in the injection prescribing rate four months after intervention (OR = 0.96; 95%CI: 0.94, 0.97). The intervention effect was inconsistent in each month after intervention, and it was most positive in the second month after intervention (OR = 0.90; 95%CI: 0.89, 0.92).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In general, publicly reporting performance data of medicine use may have positive effects on injection use to some extent. Further research is needed to investigate the mechanism by which public reporting influences injection use. Comprehensive measures are also necessary to promote the rational use of injections.
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine and Health Management, Tongji Medical College, HuaZhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, HuBei Province, China.
authors.forename: Xuan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine and Health Management, Tongji Medical College, HuaZhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, HuBei Province, China.
authors.forename: Yuqing
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine and Health Management, Tongji Medical College, HuaZhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, HuBei Province, China.
authors.forename: Xiaopeng
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine and Health Management, Tongji Medical College, HuaZhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, HuBei Province, China.
authors.forename: Xi
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine and Health Management, Tongji Medical College, HuaZhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, HuBei Province, China.
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Du
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine and Health Management, Tongji Medical College, HuaZhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, HuBei Province, China.
authors.forename: Xinping
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D016208:Databases, Factual; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011320:Primary Health Care; D012737:Sex Factors