Background
’
Audit and Feedback (A&F) involves measuring a provider’s practice, comparing it to a benchmark, and relaying this information back to the provider to encourage change [In A&F reports, provider data are often compared to an average: for example, the median prescribing rate for physicians is a specific region. However, a higher benchmark might better represent high-quality care, and the level of the benchmark may impact motivation. Goal-Setting Theory predicts that setting specific goals, which are difficult but achievable, will have a greater impact on behaviour by increasing the effort made towards achieving the goal [The impact of information framing on providers’ and patients’ health-related decision-making and behavior has a long history of study [A&F comparative effectiveness research may be best achieved by implementation scientists partnering with organizations already delivering A&F to create “implementation science laboratories” [The A&F intervention we evaluated aimed to support the appropriate prescribing of high-risk medications in nursing homes. Almost half of nursing home residents receive potentially inappropriate medications [