Quality improvement initiative to reduce URI-associated antibiotic prescriptions among adult primary care providers.

Importance: Despite evidence that most upper respiratory infections (URIs) are due to viruses, antibiotics are frequently prescribed for this indication in the outpatient setting. Antibiotic stewardship strategies are needed to reduce adverse patient outcomes and staggering healthcare costs due to resistant infections that ensue from inappropriate prescriptions.

Objective: To determine if individual provider scorecards detailing antibiotic prescribing rates paired with educational resources reduce inappropriate antibiotic use for URIs in the outpatient primary care setting.

Lack of correlation between antiobesity policy and obesity growth rates: review and analysis.

Objective: To review federal, state, and local antiobesity policies and to assess their relationships with obesity growth rates.

Methods: We performed a literature review, acquired data from governmental Internet sources, and assessed the statistical correlation between state antiobesity policies and the concavity in obesity growth rates.

Results: State-by-state antiobesity policies in 3 categories-taxation of sugared beverages and snacks, physical education and physical activity in schools, and funding for bicycle trails-were found to have no significant immediate correlation with the change in obesity growth rates.