Biomaterial Database

Changing prescribing patterns: a program of physician education. 1987

M E Whiteside, and S Lefkowitz, and F R Justiniani, and K Ratzan

A drug utilization review identified significant inappropriate use of second-generation cephalosporins at a 700-bed community teaching hospital. As a result, an educational program designed to modify physician prescribing patterns was developed as a cost-containment measure. Educational guidelines listing indications and contraindications for cefamandole and cefoxitin and comparing their costs with those of first-generation cephalosporins were placed in patient records, and physician use of these agents was reviewed before, during, and after the intervention. The rate of combined appropriate use of cefamandole and cefoxitin increased from 30 to 58% during the study. A change from the second-generation cephalosporins to therapeutically equivalent, less-expensive drugs was noted in 28% of patients' medical records within 48 hours after placement of the guidelines. This educational program proved to be a low-cost method of successfully altering the prescribing patterns of physicians.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008485	Medical Audit	A detailed review and evaluation of selected clinical records by qualified professional personnel for evaluating quality of medical care.	Audit, Medical,Audits, Medical,Medical Audits
D008505	Medical Staff, Hospital	Professional medical personnel approved to provide care to patients in a hospital.	Attending Physicians, Hospital,Hospital Medical Staff,Physicians, Junior,Registrars, Hospital,Attending Physician, Hospital,Hospital Attending Physician,Hospital Attending Physicians,Hospital Medical Staffs,Medical Staffs, Hospital,Hospital Registrar,Hospital Registrars,Junior Physician,Junior Physicians,Physician, Junior,Registrar, Hospital,Staff, Hospital Medical,Staffs, Hospital Medical
D010818	Practice Patterns, Physicians'	Patterns of practice related to diagnosis and treatment as especially influenced by cost of the service requested and provided.	Clinical Practice Patterns,Physician's Practice Patterns,Clinical Practice Pattern,Pattern, Clinical Practice,Patterns, Clinical Practice,Practice Pattern, Clinical,Practice Patterns, Clinical,Practice Patterns, Physician's,Prescribing Patterns, Physician,Physician Practice Patterns,Physician Prescribing Pattern,Physician Prescribing Patterns,Physician's Practice Pattern,Physicians' Practice Pattern,Physicians' Practice Patterns,Practice Pattern, Physician's,Practice Pattern, Physicians',Practice Patterns, Physician,Prescribing Pattern, Physician
D011307	Drug Prescriptions	Directions written for the obtaining and use of DRUGS.	Drug Prescribing,Drug Prescription,Drug Prescribings,Prescribing, Drug,Prescribings, Drug
D002511	Cephalosporins	A group of broad-spectrum antibiotics first isolated from the Mediterranean fungus ACREMONIUM. They contain the beta-lactam moiety thia-azabicyclo-octenecarboxylic acid also called 7-aminocephalosporanic acid.	Antibiotics, Cephalosporin,Cephalosporanic Acid,Cephalosporin,Cephalosporin Antibiotic,Cephalosporanic Acids,Acid, Cephalosporanic,Acids, Cephalosporanic,Antibiotic, Cephalosporin,Cephalosporin Antibiotics
D004363	Drug Utilization	The utilization of drugs as reported in individual hospital studies, FDA studies, marketing, or consumption, etc. This includes drug stockpiling, and patient drug profiles.	Utilization, Drug,Drug Utilizations,Utilizations, Drug
D005431	Florida	State bounded on east by the Atlantic Ocean, on the south by the Gulf of Mexico, on the west by Alabama and on the north by Alabama and Georgia.
D006746	Hospital Bed Capacity, 500 and over	The number of beds 500 or more which a hospital has been designed and constructed to contain. It may also refer to the number of beds set up and staffed for use.	Hospital Bed Capacity 500 Over
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man