Reducing vitamin D requests in a primary care cohort: a quality improvement study.
BJGP Open
; 4(5)2020 Dec.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-33144362
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Since 2000, vitamin D requests have increased 2-6 fold with no evidence of a corresponding improvement in the health of the population. The ease of vitamin D requesting may contribue to the rapid rise in its demand and, hence, pragmatic interventions to reduce vitamin D test ordering are warranted.AIM:
To study the effect on vitamin D requests following a redesign of the electronic forms used in primary care. In addition, any potential harms were studied and the potential cost-savings associated with the intervention were evaluated. DESIGN &SETTING:
An interventional study took place within primary care across Leicestershire, England.METHOD:
The intervention was a redesign of the electronic laboratory request form for primary care practitioners across the county. Data were collected on vitamin D requests for a 6-month period prior to the change (October 2016 to March 2017) and the corresponding 6-month period post-intervention (October 2017 to March 2018), data were also collected on vitamin D, calcium, and phosphate levels.RESULTS:
The number of requests for vitamin D decreased by 14 918 (36.2%) following the intervention. Changes in the median calcium and phosphate were not clinically significant. Cost-modelling suggested that if such an intervention was implemented across primary care in the UK, there would be a potential annual saving to the NHS of £38 712 606.CONCLUSION:
A simple pragmatic redesign of the electronic request form for vitamin D test led to a significant reduction in vitamin D requests without any adverse effect on the quality of care.
Texto completo:
1
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Tipo de estudo:
Etiology_studies
/
Risk_factors_studies
Idioma:
En
Ano de publicação:
2020
Tipo de documento:
Article