Study shows impact of report cards on opioid prescribing

Could performance feedback for physicians address the problem of opioid overprescribing?

In a recent study, Research Professor Aileen Rothbard of Penn’s School of Social Policy & Practice, along with coauthor Molly Candon, mailed opioid prescribing report cards to Medicaid providers in Philadelphia.

The authors, both senior fellows of Penn’s Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics, found that there was a larger reduction in opioid prescribing among Philadelphia Medicaid providers than those in surrounding counties after report cards were mailed.

Their findings suggest that opioid prescribing report cards not only influence provider prescribing trends, but also provide an opportunity for community collaboration. Read more on the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics blog.