R Sacha Bhatia1, Noah M Ivers2, X Cindy Yin3, Dorothy Myers4, Gillian C Nesbitt5, Jeremy Edwards6, Kibar Yared7, Rishi K Wadhera8, Justina C Wu8, Aaron P Kithcart8, Brian M Wong9, Mark S Hansen9, Adina S Weinerman9, Steven Shadowitz10, Debra Elman11, Michael E Farkouh12, Paaladinesh Thavendiranathan13, Jacob A Udell14, Amer M Johri15, Chi-Ming Chow6, Judith Hall4, Zachary Bouck3, Ashley Cohen4, Kevin E Thorpe16, Harry Rakowski17, Michael H Picard18, Rory B Weiner18. 1. Women's College Hospital Institute for Health Systems Solutions and Virtual Care, Women's College Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Peter Munk Cardiac Centre of the University Health Network, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Electronic address: sacha.bhatia@wchospital.ca. 2. Women's College Hospital Institute for Health Systems Solutions and Virtual Care, Women's College Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto, Women's College Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. 3. Women's College Hospital Institute for Health Systems Solutions and Virtual Care, Women's College Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. 4. Applied Health Research Centre, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute of St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. 5. Cardiology Division, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. 6. Division of Cardiology, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. 7. The Scarborough Hospital, University of Toronto Medical School, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. 8. Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts. 9. Department of Medicine and Centre for Quality Improvement & Patient Safety (C-QuIPS), Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. 10. Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. 11. Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. 12. Peter Munk Cardiac Centre of the University Health Network, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Applied Health Research Centre, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute of St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Cardiology Division, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. 13. Peter Munk Cardiac Centre of the University Health Network, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. 14. Women's College Hospital Institute for Health Systems Solutions and Virtual Care, Women's College Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Peter Munk Cardiac Centre of the University Health Network, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. 15. Cardiovascular Imaging Network, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada. 16. Applied Health Research Centre, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute of St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. 17. University of Toronto, Toronto General Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. 18. Cardiology Division, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Appropriate use criteria (AUC) have defined transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE) indications for which there is a clear lack of benefit as rarely appropriate (rA). OBJECTIVES: This study sought to investigate the impact of an AUC-based educational intervention on outpatient TTE ordering by cardiologists and primary care providers. METHODS: The authors conducted a prospective, investigator-blinded, multicenter, randomized controlled trial of an AUC-based educational intervention aimed at reducing rA outpatient TTEs. The study was conducted at 8 hospitals across 2 countries. The authors randomized cardiologists and primary care providers to receive either intervention or control (no intervention). The primary outcome measure was the proportion of rA TTEs. RESULTS:One hundred and ninety-six physicians were randomized, and 179 were included in the analysis. From December 2014 to April 2016, the authors assessed 14,697 TTEs for appropriateness, of which 99% were classifiable using the 2011 AUC. The mean proportion of rA TTEs was significantly lower in the intervention versus the control group (8.8% vs. 10.1%; odds ratio [OR]: 0.75; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.57 to 0.99; p = 0.039). In physicians who ordered, on average, at least 1 TTE per month, there was a significantly lower proportion of rA TTEs in the intervention versus the control group (8.6% vs. 11.1%; OR: 0.76; 95% CI: 0.57 to 0.99; p = 0.047). There was no difference in the TTE ordering volume between the intervention and control groups (mean 77.7 ± 89.3 vs. 85.4 ± 111.4; p = 0.83). CONCLUSIONS: An educational intervention reduced the number of rA TTEs ordered by attending physicians in a variety of ambulatory care environments. This may prove to be an effective strategy to improve the use of imaging. (A Multi-Centered Feedback and Education Intervention Designed to Reduce Inappropriate Transthoracic Echocardiograms [Echo WISELY]; NCT02038101).
RCT Entities:
BACKGROUND: Appropriate use criteria (AUC) have defined transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE) indications for which there is a clear lack of benefit as rarely appropriate (rA). OBJECTIVES: This study sought to investigate the impact of an AUC-based educational intervention on outpatient TTE ordering by cardiologists and primary care providers. METHODS: The authors conducted a prospective, investigator-blinded, multicenter, randomized controlled trial of an AUC-based educational intervention aimed at reducing rA outpatient TTEs. The study was conducted at 8 hospitals across 2 countries. The authors randomized cardiologists and primary care providers to receive either intervention or control (no intervention). The primary outcome measure was the proportion of rA TTEs. RESULTS: One hundred and ninety-six physicians were randomized, and 179 were included in the analysis. From December 2014 to April 2016, the authors assessed 14,697 TTEs for appropriateness, of which 99% were classifiable using the 2011 AUC. The mean proportion of rA TTEs was significantly lower in the intervention versus the control group (8.8% vs. 10.1%; odds ratio [OR]: 0.75; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.57 to 0.99; p = 0.039). In physicians who ordered, on average, at least 1 TTE per month, there was a significantly lower proportion of rA TTEs in the intervention versus the control group (8.6% vs. 11.1%; OR: 0.76; 95% CI: 0.57 to 0.99; p = 0.047). There was no difference in the TTE ordering volume between the intervention and control groups (mean 77.7 ± 89.3 vs. 85.4 ± 111.4; p = 0.83). CONCLUSIONS: An educational intervention reduced the number of rA TTEs ordered by attending physicians in a variety of ambulatory care environments. This may prove to be an effective strategy to improve the use of imaging. (A Multi-Centered Feedback and Education Intervention Designed to Reduce Inappropriate Transthoracic Echocardiograms [Echo WISELY]; NCT02038101).
Authors: Weihan Chen; David T Saxon; Michael P Henry; John R Herald; Rob Holleman; Debbie Zawol; Stacy Sivils; Mohamad A Kenaan; Theodore J Kolias; Hitinder S Gurm; Nicole M Bhave Journal: J Am Soc Echocardiogr Date: 2020-11-01 Impact factor: 5.251
Authors: Rajan Sacha Bhatia; Dennis T Ko; Cherry Chu; Ruth Croxford; Zachary Bouck; Tharmegan Tharmaratnam; Paul Dorian; Heather Ross; Peter C Austin; Kaveh Shojania; Shaun G Goodman Journal: CJC Open Date: 2021-02-09