TY - JOUR

T1 - A compulsory pop-up form reduces the number of vitamin D requests from general practitioners by 25 percent

AU - Munk, Jens K.

AU - Bathum, Lise

AU - Jørgensen, Henrik L.

AU - Lind, Bent S.

PY - 2020

Y1 - 2020

N2 - Objective: Healthcare costs, including costs for laboratory tests, are increasing worldwide. One example is the measurement of vitamin D. General practitioners in the Capital Region of Denmark include a vitamin D status in approximately 20% of all laboratory requisitions. This study intended to examine the effect of a compulsory pop-up form in the electronic request system on the number of vitamin D tests and to monitor the indications. Design: From 1 January 2017, we introduced a compulsory pop-up form in which the general practitioners had to state the indication for measuring vitamin D, choosing from a predefined set of indications. Intervention practitioners were compared with control practitioners before and after the intervention. Setting: General practices in the Capital Region of Denmark. Subjects: In total, 572 general practitioners and 383,964 patients were included in the period from 1 January 2016 to 31 December 2018. Main outcome measures: Number of vitamin D tests and distribution of indications. Results: We observed a drop in number of vitamin D requisitions to 70% (in 2017) and 75% (in 2018) relative to 2016. During the same period, the number of requisitions increased by 33% in a non-intervention group of practitioners. The indication ‘Monitoring of treatment with vitamin D’ was the most frequently used indication, recorded in 121,475 patients. Conclusion: A compulsory pop-up form reduces the number of vitamin D requests from general practitioners by 25%. The implication is that pop-up forms can be used to decrease healthcare costs.

AB - Objective: Healthcare costs, including costs for laboratory tests, are increasing worldwide. One example is the measurement of vitamin D. General practitioners in the Capital Region of Denmark include a vitamin D status in approximately 20% of all laboratory requisitions. This study intended to examine the effect of a compulsory pop-up form in the electronic request system on the number of vitamin D tests and to monitor the indications. Design: From 1 January 2017, we introduced a compulsory pop-up form in which the general practitioners had to state the indication for measuring vitamin D, choosing from a predefined set of indications. Intervention practitioners were compared with control practitioners before and after the intervention. Setting: General practices in the Capital Region of Denmark. Subjects: In total, 572 general practitioners and 383,964 patients were included in the period from 1 January 2016 to 31 December 2018. Main outcome measures: Number of vitamin D tests and distribution of indications. Results: We observed a drop in number of vitamin D requisitions to 70% (in 2017) and 75% (in 2018) relative to 2016. During the same period, the number of requisitions increased by 33% in a non-intervention group of practitioners. The indication ‘Monitoring of treatment with vitamin D’ was the most frequently used indication, recorded in 121,475 patients. Conclusion: A compulsory pop-up form reduces the number of vitamin D requests from general practitioners by 25%. The implication is that pop-up forms can be used to decrease healthcare costs.

KW - evidence-based interventions

KW - general practitioner

KW - healthcare cost

KW - laboratory testing

KW - Vitamin D

U2 - 10.1080/02813432.2020.1794399

DO - 10.1080/02813432.2020.1794399

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 32686978

AN - SCOPUS:85088316764

VL - 38

SP - 308

EP - 314

JO - Scandinavian Journal of Primary Health Care

JF - Scandinavian Journal of Primary Health Care

SN - 0281-3432

IS - 3

ER -