The ROUTT-B (Reduce Over-Utilized Tests and Treatments in Bronchiolitis) Study

The ROUTT-B (Reduce Over-Utilized Tests and Treatments in Bronchiolitis) Study: Developing a Roadmap for De-Implementation

Over-testing and over-treatment costs the US healthcare system hundreds of billions of dollars a year, and has measurable negative impacts on patients' physical, emotional, and financial health making it a significant public health concern. The proposed research will advance "de-implementation" science by identifying processes and strategies to stop or reduce over-testing and over-treatment that can be broadly adapted to varied contexts and disease processes to improve the delivery of guideline concordant, evidence-based care and improve patient outcomes.

The overarching goal of this proposal is to use bronchiolitis as a case study to advance the science of de-implementation by identifying strategies and processes for reducing over-testing and over-treatment in bronchiolitis that can later be broadly adapted to varied contexts and disease processes. The challenge in bronchiolitis is that providing high-quality, evidenced-based care requires a "less is more" approach as the non- recommended, outdated, and potentially harmful tests and treatments that most admitted patients receive do not have replacements. Therefore, bronchiolitis which is the most common cause of hospitalization among infants, is an ideal condition to study de-implementation.

In her set of projects, Dr. Tyler proposes the innovative application of dissemination and implementation (D&I) science to the unique problem of de-implementation. Within a learning health system called PEDSnet, Dr. Tyler will use the PRISM D&I model as a guide to: 1) use qualitative methods to define contextual factors influencing over-utilization in bronchiolitis from the perspective of healthcare providers, parents, and healthcare organizations, 2) develop a set of pragmatic, feasible, and effective de-implementation strategies for bronchiolitis that includes guidance on how to adapt the strategies to local contexts, and 3) conduct a pilot study to determine the feasibility, acceptability, and de-implementation effectiveness of the de-implementation strategies. As one of the first explorations of contextual factors fostering overuse or enabling successful de-implementation, this study is expected to generate valuable knowledge relevant to de- implementation across diseases and healthcare settings. The results will provide pilot data for a large-scale, pragmatic, randomized-controlled trial of the de-implementation strategies so that ineffective and potentially harmful medical practices are reduced.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients age 1-23 months seen at a participating site for bronchiolitis
• Providers at participating sites that see eligible patients (defined above)
• Parents who have an eligible child at participating study sites (parent interviews)

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients outside the age limits and do not have bronchiolitis
• Providers not at participating site
• Parents who do not have an eligible child at participating study site.