Objective

To determine whether an educational intervention strategy would improve the frequency of medical prescriptions for adequate thromboprophylaxis in a medicine service.

Methods

Quasi-experimental study, in which in the pre-intervention phase the frequencies of indication of appropriate thromboprophylaxis by physicians from the medicine service were obtained. An 8-week educational intervention was carried out with this same group of doctors. In the post-intervention phase, the frequency of adequate thromboprophylaxis was measured at 2 and 4 months after the intervention.

Results

The educational intervention was implemented in 112 resident physicians in medicine specialties. All prescriptions were made by the first-year resident physicians and endorsed by their supervising physician. Prior to the intervention, 47 (44.35%) adequate prescriptions were obtained, 13 (12.26%) suboptimal, 4 (3.77%) inadequate, and 42 (39, 62%) no prescription. After the intervention, the following 2 months were obtained: 78 (75.72%) adequate prescriptions, 7 (6.79%) suboptimal, 4 (2.91%) inadequate and 15 (14.58%) no prescriptions, there being a significant difference with the baseline level. At the subsequent 4 months post-intervention, the following were obtained: 86 (83.49%) adequate, 5 (4.85%) suboptimal, 2 (1.94%) inadequate and 10 (9.72%) no prescription, with a difference significant with the baseline level. There was no increase in the frequency of overuse.

Conclusions

The application of an educational strategy to medical personnel was effective in increasing correctly indicated thromboprophylaxis prescriptions in a medical service. No overuse of thromboprophylaxis was found after the intervention.

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