Stepped-Wedge Trial Launches to Test Digital Prescribing Decision Support Against Antimicrobial Resistance in Primary Care — Implications for Global AMR Strategy
247 Health News Editorial
·18 July 2026
·5 min read
·clinical-trialsA new Belgian trial is testing whether an EHR-integrated digital decision support tool can reduce inappropriate antibiotic prescribing in general practice — a critical front in the global fight against antimicrobial resistance. Using a stepped-wedge cluster randomised design across 48 practices, the study will measure real-world impact on prescribing rates using national surveillance data. The findings are expected to have broad relevance for primary care stewardship strategies worldwide, including in Australia.
Originally reported by ClinicalTrials.gov
References
- 1.KU Leuven. (2025). Impact evaluation of a prescription search support (PSS) for antimicrobials using a stepped-wedge cluster randomized design in Belgian primary care (NCT07347015). ClinicalTrials.gov. https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT07347015
- 2.Coenen, S., Francis, N., Kelly, M., Hood, K., Nuttall, J., Little, P., Verheij, T., Goossens, H., & Butler, C. C. (2013). Are patient views about antibiotics related to clinician perceptions, management and outcome? A multi-country study in outpatients with acute cough. PLOS ONE, 8(10), e76691. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0076691
- 3.Hemming, K., Haines, T. P., Chilton, P. J., Girling, A. J., & Lilford, R. J. (2015). The stepped wedge cluster randomised trial: rationale, design, analysis, and reporting. BMJ, 350, h391. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.h391
- 4.World Health Organization. (2019). Antibiotic resistance. WHO Fact Sheets. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/antibiotic-resistance
- 5.Meeker, D., Linder, J. A., Fox, C. R., Friedberg, M. W., Persell, S. D., Goldstein, N. J., Knight, T. K., Hay, J. W., & Doctor, J. N. (2016). Effect of behavioral interventions on inappropriate antibiotic prescribing among primary care practices: a randomized clinical trial. JAMA, 315(6), 562–570. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2016.0275
- 6.Rawson, T. M., Moore, L. S. P., Hernandez, B., Charani, E., Castro-Sanchez, E., Herrero, P., Hayhoe, B., Hope, W., Georgiou, P., & Holmes, A. H. (2017). A systematic review of clinical decision support systems for antimicrobial management: are we failing to investigate these interventions appropriately? Clinical Infectious Diseases, 64(8), 1123–1132. https://doi.org/10.1093/cid/cix023
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247 Health News Editorial
247 Health News is a medical intelligence platform delivering evidence-based research appraisals, clinical trial monitoring, and health technology news for healthcare professionals.
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