EFFECT OF PHYSICIAN REMINDERS ON PREVENTIVE CARE - METAANALYSIS OF RANDOMIZED CLINICAL-TRIALS

The objective of this study was to assess the clinical value of the ph ysician reminder, an information intervention, in increasing complianc e for selected preventive health care measures. Meta-analysis was used to combine the quantitative evidence from randomized controlled clini cal trials meeting the eligibility criteria. The trials included in th is meta-analysis were conducted in a family or internal medicine clini c. Physician reminders were used in the trials to influence utilizatio n and compliance of preventive health care activities. The use of phys ician reminders for preventive health care activities resulted in a ho mogeneous effect for the subcategories of cervical cancer screening (t est for heterogeneity X2(2) = 4.122, non-significant) and tetanus immu nization (test for heterogeneity X2(2) = 3.139, non-significant). Simi larly, the odds ratio from the combination of evidence from the three cervical cancer screening trials was significant (1.180, 95 percent CI : 1.020 to 1.339). The resulting odds ratio from the combination of ev idence from the three tetanus immunization trials was significant (2.8 19, 95 percent CI: 2.664 to 2.975). The results of the meta-analyses f or cervical cancer screening and tetanus immunizations indicate that p hysician reminders are an effective information intervention and can i mprove compliance for these two preventive health care procedures. Bas ed on the results of this meta-analysis, further trials testing the ef fect of physician reminders on tetanus immunization would be unnecessa ry and probably unethical.