Inappropriate Testing of Streptococcal Pharyngitis in Children Aged Below 3 Years: Application of Statistical Process Control.
Clin Pediatr (Phila)
; 62(4): 309-315, 2023 05.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-36171730
ABSTRACT
Group A strep tests in patients aged below 3 years are not recommended unless the patient has appropriate symptoms and a positive contact or signs of complications. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to increase the percentage of appropriately ordered strep tests among providers. Data were collected retrospectively and prospectively from 1163 patient visits. Providers were exposed to educational interventions, an electronic medical record order change, and provider feedback. Proportional control charts characterized the providers' behaviors and determined significant improvement among testing. The result was an increase in appropriate tests (13.7% to 37.8%), and the control charts showed sustainable results over time. This project demonstrates the efficacy of these methods to encourage antibiotic stewardship among providers. Furthermore, the interventions used here can be applied to other areas with low-value diagnostic testing. Future studies should investigate whether parental anxiety and educational programs influence testing and evaluate the efficacy of certain strategies.
Key words
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Streptococcal Infections
/
Pharyngitis
Limits:
Child
/
Humans
Language:
En
Journal:
Clin Pediatr (Phila)
Year:
2023
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country: