Recently, the antibiotics barometer has become available in all EMD packages. Additionally, three NRKP indicators (National Council for Quality Promotion, RIZIV) for the efficient prescription of antibiotics by general practitioners have been published in the Official Gazette. Although both initiatives aim to improve the quality of antibiotic prescriptions, they are completely independent of each other.
The antibiotics barometer is not a control instrument. Although this barometer was partly developed with financial support from the RIZIV, it is an independent academic initiative developed by and for general practitioners based on available data in the medical record with direct linkage to indications. The antibiotics barometer is intended as a tool for general practitioners to reflect on their own quality of care at the practice level. This barometer will be further optimized to meet the needs of daily general practice. The data at the practice level is only available for the own practice; it is only used at a higher level as a comparison tool by aggregating the data anonymously.
For more information: https://www.intego.be/barometers/antibiotica-barometer For questions, you can contact: huisartsenbarometers@kuleuven.be
The NRKP indicators include an accountability threshold for the prescribing behavior of antibiotics by general practitioners. They were developed based on available data from prescriptions of reimbursed medicines without direct linkage to indications. This is based on previous recommendations from the NRKP and BAPCOC supplemented with detailed data analyses by the Medical Evaluation and Control Service of the RIZIV. The NRKP indicators aim to show both who prescribes well and to indicate where improvement is needed. By mid-April 2024, the RIZIV will inform each general practitioner of their position before the publication of these indicators in the Official Gazette. This serves as a baseline measurement and will be repeated annually and, where necessary, accompanied by individual remediation. Indicators of manifest deviation from good medical practice are one of the levers to achieve more appropriate care: the right care, in the right place, at the right price.
For more information: https://www.riziv.fgov.be For questions, you can contact: indic.dgec.secm@riziv-inami.fgov.be