A digital health algorithm to guide antibiotic prescription in pediatric outpatient care: a cluster randomized controlled trial. Rainer Tan et al. Nat Med 2023 12

https://phgkb.cdc.gov/PHGKB/phgHome.action?action=all%20hot%20topics From the abstract: "Excessive antibiotic use and antimicrobial resistance are major global public health threats. We developed ePOCT+, a digital clinical decision support algorithm in combination with C-reactive protein test, hemoglobin test, pulse oximeter and mentorship, to guide health-care providers in managing acutely sick children under 15?years old. To evaluate the impact of ePOCT+ compared to usual care, we conducted a cluster randomized controlled trial in primary care facilities. The use of ePOCT+ in intervention facilities resulted in a reduction in the coprimary outcome of antibiotic prescription compared to usual care (23.2% versus 70.1%, adjusted difference -46.4%, 95% confidence interval (CI) -57.6 to -35.2). "