Impact of a Mobile App on Topical Corticosteroid Prescribing by Family Practitioners

Primary Study Endpoints The primary endpoint of this study to be measured would be topical steroid prescription records (including unit sizes, potencies, and number of prescriptions) from study participants before and during use of this app.

Secondary Study Endpoints The study participants will also be asked to take surveys to rate user satisfaction and clinical utility.

2.1 Scientific Background and Gaps The literature has shown that patients with dermatologic conditions may not receive appropriate management by PCPs. Dermatologic conditions are common, affecting 20-36% of patients in PCP offices; however PCPs report diagnostic and management uncertainty.1,2 PCPs have been shown to prescribe either inappropriately high-potency TCS or, conversely, inappropriately low-potency TCS.3 In addition, it was recently found that drug costs may be higher if multiple small tubes are dispensed over the treatment course.4 Thus, there are opportunities to reduce cost by prescribing larger units, when indicated; however PCPs may not have the knowledge to effectively and cost-efficiently prescribe TCS. Teaching this information is not sufficient, since most (71%) medical schools provided nine or fewer hours of instruction in the first two years.5 Importantly, mobile devices and apps provide significantly increased access to point-of-care tools and, with use by providers, demonstrate better clinical decision-making and improved patient outcomes.6,7 Thus, our goal is to develop a point-of-care decision support app to educate PCPs while facilitating evidence-based care and lower health care costs.

The mobile application will be developed by a team at Penn State Hershey from the results obtained in a systematic literature review and quality assessment of clinical practice guidelines for topical corticosteroid use. The quality of the guidelines will be assessed using the AGREE II tool. After the app user enters in information concerning patients' rash location and desired treatment duration, the app will generate a list of recommended topical steroids (focusing on specific quantity and potency) for the patient's particular area of need. It is ultimately up to the physician whether or not to follow or modify the recommended suggestions.

Study Rationale Smartphone applications are rising rapidly in popularity in the healthcare field. 85% of clinicians are reported as owners of smart phones, with 50% of them using apps in their practice.8 Use of smartphone technology and clinical decision support tools may mean improvements in primary care practices by assisting in the standardization of the prescribing practices for TCS while allowing dermatologists more availability for patients with higher need.