NCT03240536

Choosing Tests Wisely in Rheumatology

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 638 (actual)
• Sponsor: London Health Sciences Centre Research Institute OR Lawson Research Institute of St. Joseph's · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

This is a randomized study intended to produce a reduction in ordering of inappropriate tests by general practitioners as determined by recommendations from the CRA's Choosing Wisely guidelines. This reduction of inappropriate testing is expected in referrals to the rheumatologists randomized to the intervention group. This study will further explore which recommendations from the Canadian Rheumatology Association (CRA)/Canada Choosing Wisely campaign have the most impact on regional referring physicians to the Rheumatology clinic at St. Joseph's Hospital, London.

Detailed description

This a randomized study in that 6 rheumatologists (30 referrals each) will be randomized to one of two groups: intervention or control. Referring physicians to the intervention group will be faxed a brief Choosing Wisely form (intervention) based upon the recommendations of the Canadian Rheumatology Association's (CRA) Canada Choosing Wisely campaign, while referring physicians from the control group will not receive the form (non intervention). Analysis will be based upon the results of a three question survey faxed to all referring physicians at year one and at year two and on future referrals from the referring physicians to determine if there is a reduction in the group of ordering physicians that received the intervention (Choosing Wisely form).

Conditions

• SLE

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	Choosing Wisely form	The investigators will fax a "Choosing Wisely form" to ordering physicians that will include information from the Canadian Rheumatology Association Canada Choosing Wisely Guidelines. Three points will be included with some additional explanation of why these are important. The three guidelines included will be: 1. Don't order an ANA as a screening test in patients without specific signs or symptoms of systemic lupus erythematous (SLE) or another connective tissue disorder (CTD). 2. Don't routinely image patients with low back pain regardless of the duration of symptoms unless that are clinical reasons to suspect serious underlying pathology 3. Don' routinely order a shoulder ultrasound as it is likely to indicate a tear in many people over the age of 50 years and will not change the initial management.

Timeline

• Start date: 2018-05-15
• Primary completion: 2021-09-08
• Completion: 2021-09-08
• First posted: 2017-08-07
• Last updated: 2022-04-26

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Canada