Effectiveness of interactive dashboards to optimize prescribing in general practice: a systematic review.

Abstract

Background: The World Health Organisation's Medication Without Harm campaign aims to reduce severe avoidable medication-related harm by 50%. This systematic review explored the characteristics of interventions that provide visual and longitudinal feedback on prescribing (interactive dashboards), in general practice and the effect of these interventions on prescribing-related outcomes.

Methods: This systematic review was registered prospectively and reported in line with PRISMA guidelines. Multiple databases and grey literature were searched in November 2023 to identify interventional studies that explored the effect of interactive dashboards on prescribing-related outcomes in general practice. Two independent researchers conducted screening, data extraction, and risk of bias assessment. Interventions were described narratively, and a random-effects meta-analysis was performed for comparable studies.

Results: Ten randomized controlled trials, one controlled before-and-after study, and three interrupted time series were included. Seven studies reported a significant positive effect on prescribing-related outcomes, with an effect seen more often for studies focussing on potentially inappropriate prescribing (PIP) (four out of six). Three of the eight studies that focussed on antibiotic prescribing demonstrated a significant effect. A meta-analysis of three RCTs involving 160 general practices and 198 135 patients demonstrated the overall odds of PIP was 0.92 (95%CI: 0.78-1.06, I2 = 70.1%) in the intervention compared to the control group.

Conclusion: Interactive dashboards show promise for supporting safe and effective prescribing in general practice, but current evidence is inconclusive. Future research should focus on developing core outcome sets to facilitate future meta-analyses of effectiveness as well as optimizing their implementation and understanding how to sustain user engagement.