Introduction:

Several antibiotic therapy regimens have been proposed for the eradication of Helicobacter pylori (Hp). Local resistances should be considered when choosing quadruple therapy. The purpose of this study is to improve the quality of prescriptions for the treatment of Hp infections which is based on local health regulations, most recent international recommendations, and antibiotic resistance in Portugal.

Materials and Methods:

This is a technical and scientific quality improvement study, based on a cycle of assessment and improvement implemented in five primary care units in the central region of Portugal. Included in this study were all patients with a diagnosis of Hp infection in a three-month period before and after the intervention, where the most recent recommendations for treatment of Hp were presented. All data was collected from MIM@UF® and SClínico® databases, registered and analyzed with Microsoft Excel® 2016.

Results:

An initial analysis returned a total of 68 patients diagnosed with Hp infection. Sixty-five were treated for a total of 46% (n=30) of adequate treatment. A short intervention was carried out and data was again collected from 65 patients with Hp infection. Sixty-two were treated for a total of 71% (n=44) of adequate treatment.

Discussion:

The intervention led to an improvement in first-line therapy choices. There was an evident decrease in prescription error, namely, a reduction of triple therapy choice.

Conclusion:

This study shows that an educational intervention designed and offered to clinicians, is fundamental for quality improvement of prescription for Hp infection treatment.

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