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Background Inappropriate prescribing of diagnostic procedures leads to overdiagnosis, overtreatment and resource waste in healthcare systems. Effective strategies to measure and to overcome inappropriateness are essential to increasing the value and sustainability of care. We aimed to describe the determinants of inappropriate reporting of the clinical question and of inappropriate imaging and endoscopy referrals through an analysis of general practitioners’ (GP) referral forms in the province of Reggio Emilia, Italy. Methods A clinical audit was conducted on routinely collected referral forms of all GPs of Reggio Emilia province. All prescriptions for gastroscopy, colonoscopy, neurological and musculoskeletal computerised tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) from 2012 to 2017 were included. The appropriateness of referral forms was assessed using Clinika VAP software, which combines semantic analysis of clinical questions and available metadata. Local protocols agreed on by all physicians defined criteria of appropriateness. Two multilevel logistic models were used to identify multiple predictors of inappropriateness of referral forms and to analyse variability among GPs, primary care subdistricts and healthcare districts. Results Overall, 37% of referral forms were classified as inappropriate, gastroscopy and CT showed higher proportions of inappropriate referrals compared to colonoscopy and MRI. Inappropriateness increased with patient age for CT and MRI; for gastroscopy, it was lower for patients aged 65–84 compared to those younger, and for colonoscopy, it was higher for older patients. Fee exemptions were associated with inappropriateness in MRI referral forms. The effect of GPs’ practice organization was consistent across all tests, showing higher inappropriateness for primary care medical networks than in primary care medical groups. Male GPs were associated with inappropriateness in endoscopy, and older GPs were associated with inappropriateness in musculoskeletal CT. While there was moderate variability in the inappropriate prescribing among GPs, there was not among the healthcare districts or primary care subdistricts. Conclusions Routinely collected data and IT tools can be useful to identify and monitor diagnostic procedures at high risk of inappropriate prescribing. Assessing determinants of inappropriate referral makes it possible to tailor educational and organizational interventions to those who need them.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of family pediatrician–led motivational interviews (MIs) on BMI of overweight (85th ≥BMI percentile ≥95th) children aged 4 to 7 years. METHODS: All the family pediatricians working in Reggio Emilia Province (Italy) were invited to participate in the study; 95% accepted. Specific training was provided. Parents were asked to participate in the trial if they recognized their child as overweight. Children were individually randomly assigned to MIs or usual care. All children were invited for a baseline and a 12-month visit to assess BMI and lifestyle behaviors. The usual care group received an information leaflet, and the intervention group received 5 MI family meetings. The primary outcome was the individual variation of BMI, assessed by pediatricians unblinded to treatment groups. RESULTS: Of 419 eligible families, 372 (89%) participated; 187 children were randomized to MIs and 185 to the usual care group. Ninety-five percent of the children attended the 12-month visit. The average BMI increased by 0.49 and 0.79 during the intervention in the MI and control groups, respectively (difference: –0.30; P = .007). MI had no effect in boys or in children whose mothers had a low educational level. Positive changes in parent-reported lifestyle behaviors occurred more frequently in the MI group than in the control group. CONCLUSIONS: The pediatrician-led MI was overall effective in controlling BMI in these overweight children aged 4 to 7 years, even though no effect was observed in male children or when the mother’s education level was low.

BACKGROUND: Pediatrician-led motivational interviewing can be an effective way of controlling BMI in overweight children in the short term. Its long-term efficacy is unknown. The primary aim was to determine whether the short-term (12-month) impact of family pediatrician-led motivational interviews on the BMI of overweight children could be sustained in the long term (24 months), in the absence of any other intervention. METHODS: Children were recruited in 2011 by family pediatricians working in the province of Reggio Emilia, Italy, and randomly allocated to receive either 5 interviews delivered over a 12-month period or usual care. Eligible participants were all 4- to 7-year-old overweight children resident in the province of Reggio Emilia who had been receiving care from the pediatrician for ≥12 months. The primary outcome of this study was individual variation in BMI between the baseline visit and the 24-month follow-up, assessed by pediatricians not blinded to treatment group allocation. RESULTS: Of 419 eligible families, 372 (89%) participated; 187 children were randomized to receive intervention and 185 to usual care. Ninety-five percent of the children attended the 12-month follow-up, and 91% attended the 24-month follow-up. After the 12-month intervention period, BMI in the intervention group increased less than in the control group (0.46 and 0.78, respectively; difference −0.32; P = .005). At the 24-month follow-up, the difference had disappeared (1.52 and 1.56, respectively; difference −0.04; P = .986). CONCLUSIONS: The intervention lost its effectiveness within 1 year of cessation. Sustainable boosters are required for weight control and obesity prevention.

We examined 9 years' incidence of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a disease previously associated with a high-selenium environment, in a cohort of 5,182 residents of Reggio Emilia, Italy. This cohort had accidentally been exposed to drinking water with high selenium content. Four cases were diagnosed during the follow-up. Using the remainder of the municipal population as the reference group, the standardized incidence ratio was 4.22 (95% confidence interval = 1.15-10.80). The standardized incidence ratio was higher after limiting the analysis to the subcohort with the longest ascertainable exposure period. The findings appear to confirm a causal association between overexposure to environmental selenium and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.