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Table 4 Between-group-differences in actual proportions of prescription per therapy at T2 and in changes from baseline in prescription proportions at T2 for general practitioners and pain specialists

From: Educating physicians on strong opioids by descriptive versus simulated-experience formats: a randomized controlled trial

 

Mean (SD) proportion of prescription per 100 patients at T2

Change from baseline in Mean (SD) proportion of prescription per 100 patients at T2

 
 

Fact box

Simulation

Fact box

Simulation

p*

Baseline adjusted mean difference

[95% CI]

General practitioners

(n = 110)

(n = 104)

(n = 110)

(n = 104)

 

Strong opioids

20.8 (9.4)

18.3 (9.2)

– 2.2 (5.1)

– 3.9 (6.3)

0.006*

–1.89 [– 3.22; – 0.55]

Nonsteriod anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID)

83.8 (15.4)

88.5 (11.6)

– 1.0 (3.5)

0.9 (6.8)

0.001*

2.24 [0.9; 3.58]

Weak opioids

13.7 (10.5)

9.7 (9.1)

1.4 (4.6)

– 3.8 (7.4)

< 0.001*

– 4.89 [– 6.4; – 3.39]

Multimodal therapy

17.9 (13.0)

17.3 (13.8)

– 0.2 (3.6)

0.5 (2.5)

0.129

0.65 [–0.19;1.48]

Physiotherapy, endurance sports

68.2 (21.4)

68.2 (21.2)

1.0 (5.6)

0.2 (3.3)

0.239

– 0.71 [–1.91; 0.48]

Psychotherapy

29.5 (23.8)

30.0 (22.8)

– 0.4 (3.6)

0.9 (2.9)

0.005*

1.24 [- 0.38; 2.1]

Means of opioid reduction

27.0 (22.6)

28.0 (22.1)

– 0.4 (5.4)

1.9 (4.5)

0.001*

2.3 [– 0.97; 3.63]

Pain specialists

(n = 99)

(n = 113)

(n = 99)

(n = 113)

 

Strong opioids

25.3 (11.5)

22.5 (11.1)

– 1.4 (3.8)

– 3.3 (5.4)

0.002*

–1.98 [– 3.2; –0.762]

Nonsteriod anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID)

76.5 (20.2) §

80.8 (18.4) §

– 1.2 (4.0) §

– 0.3 (4.9) §

0.080

1.01 [– 0.12: 2.13]

Weak opioids

16.8 (12.6)

12.6 (10.3)

0.6 (6.5)

– 2.3 (6.7)

< 0.001*

– 3.19 [– 4.82; –1.56]

Multimodal therapy

27.7 (16.7)

26.2 (16.8)

– 0.5 (2.7)

0.1 (4.2)

0.393

0.41 [– 0.54;1.37]

Physiotherapy, endurance sports

66.0 (18.6)

65.2 (19.1)

1.1 (4.9)

1.1 (4.2)

0.715

0.23 [– 1;1.45]

Psychotherapy

50.6 (30.6)

44.3 (30.1)

0.2 (3.3)

0.2 (3.6)

0.584

– 0.25 [– 1.16; 0.66]

Means of opioid reduction

42.2 (30.2) §

43.5 (29.8) §

– 0.6 (7.3) §

6.5 (14.2) §

< 0.001*

6.41 [3.35; 9.48]

  1. T2 = mean prescription behavior across all respondents of intervention group at 9-month follow-up; T0 = mean prescription behavior across all respondents of intervention group at baseline; mean and standard deviation (SD) of number of patients out of 100 with chronic noncancer pain being prescribed the respective treatment
  2. * Significance level is based on ANCOVA models with adjustment for baseline values
  3. § Mean T2 rates and changes for NSAID and means of opioid reduction in pain specialists were computed with imputed values due to significant differences between dropouts and non-dropouts, n = 150 + 150