A Case Study: Using Prescriber Feedback to Curb Excess
Penobscot Community Health Care Center (PCHC) is a non-profit community health center located in Bangor, Maine. PCHC offers family medicine, mental health, dental and 20 other services to Maine residents. With 19 locations, PCHC is the largest Federally Qualified Health Center in the state and the second largest in New England.
Problem
Having worked collaboratively on opioid stewardship for a dozen years, Noah Nesin, MD, FAAFP, Chief Medical Officer, and Theresa Knowles, FNP-C, Chief Quality Officer, were interested in reducing antibiotic prescriptions for upper respiratory infections, as well as benzodiazepines and opioids.
Solution
Under the pilot project, Dr. Nesin and Ms. Knowles collected data at the clinician level to identify high prescription rates and shared Choosing Wisely educational materials with both clinicians and patients. Physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurses and medical assistants learned strategies for speaking with patients about appropriate prescribing practices. Patients also learned about overuse at the point of care from Choosing Wisely posters and patient brochures in waiting and exam rooms, and through media and social media promotion.
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