Implementation and Evaluation of a Digitally Enabled Precision Public Health Intervention to Reduce Inappropriate Gabapentinoid Prescription: Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial

Background Digital technologies can enable rapid targeted delivery of audit and feedback interventions at scale. Few studies have evaluated how mode of delivery affects clinical professional behavior change and none have assessed the feasibility of such an initiative at a national scale. Objective The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate the effect of audit and feedback by digital versus postal (letter) mode of delivery on primary care physician behavior. Methods This study was developed as part of the Veterans’ Medicines Advice and Therapeutics Education Services (MATES) program, an intervention funded by the Australian Government Department of Veterans’ Affairs that provides targeted education and patient-specific audit with feedback to Australian general practitioners, as well as educational material to veterans and other health professionals. We performed a cluster randomized controlled trial of a multifaceted intervention to reduce inappropriate gabapentinoid prescription, comparing digital and postal mode of delivery. All veteran patients targeted also received an educational intervention (postal delivery). Efficacy was measured using a linear mixed-effects model as the average number of gabapentinoid prescriptions standardized by defined daily dose (individual level), and number of veterans visiting a psychologist in the 6 and 12 months following the intervention. Results The trial involved 2552 general practitioners in Australia and took place in March 2020. Both intervention groups had a significant reduction in total gabapentinoid prescription by the end of the study period (digital: mean reduction of 11.2%, P=.004; postal: mean reduction of 11.2%, P=.001). We found no difference between digital and postal mode of delivery in reduction of gabapentinoid prescriptions at 12 months (digital: –0.058, postal: –0.058, P=.98). Digital delivery increased initiations to psychologists at 12 months (digital: 3.8%, postal: 2.0%, P=.02). Conclusions Our digitally delivered professional behavior change intervention was feasible, had comparable effectiveness to the postal intervention with regard to changes in medicine use, and had increased effectiveness with regard to referrals to a psychologist. Given the logistical benefits of digital delivery in nationwide programs, the results encourage exploration of this mode in future interventions.


1a-i) Identify the mode of delivery in the title
Identify the mode of delivery. Preferably use "web-based" and/or "mobile" and/or "electronic game" in the title. Avoid ambiguous terms like "online", "virtual", "interactive". Use "Internet-based" only if Intervention includes non-web-based Internet components (e.g. email), use "computer-based" or "electronic" only if offline products are used. Use "virtual" only in the context of "virtual reality" (3-D worlds). Use "online" only in the context of "online support groups". Complement or substitute product names with broader terms for the class of products (such as "mobile" or "smart phone" instead of "iphone"), especially if the application runs on different platforms.

Clear selection
Does your paper address subitem 1a-i? * Copy and paste relevant sections from manuscript title (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briefly explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "Digitally Enabled" (used secure digital message delivery, encoded as HL7 document) 1a-ii) Non-web-based components or important co-interventions in title Mention non-web-based components or important co-interventions in title, if any (e.g., "with telephone support").

Clear selection
Does your paper address subitem 1a-ii?
Copy and paste relevant sections from manuscript title (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briefly explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study Control group requires further explanation, contained in the Methods section 1a-iii) Primary condition or target group in the title Mention primary condition or target group in the title, if any (e.g., "for children with Type I Diabetes") Example: A Web-based and Mobile Intervention with Telephone Support for Children with Type I Diabetes: Randomized Controlled Trial

Clear selection
Does your paper address subitem 1a-iii? * Copy and paste relevant sections from manuscript title (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briefly explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study Reduce Inappropriate Gabapentinoid Prescription 1b) ABSTRACT: Structured summary of trial design, methods, results, and conclusions NPT extension: Description of experimental treatment, comparator, care providers, centers, and blinding status.
subitem not at all important 1 2 3 4 5 essential 1b-i) Key features/functionalities/components of the intervention and comparator in the METHODS section of the ABSTRACT Mention key features/functionalities/components of the intervention and comparator in the abstract. If possible, also mention theories and principles used for designing the site. Keep in mind the needs of systematic reviewers and indexers by including important synonyms. (Note: Only report in the abstract what the main paper is reporting. If this information is missing from the main body of text, consider adding it)

Clear selection
Does your paper address subitem 1b-i? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript abstract (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briefly explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "targeted education and patient-specific audit with feedback to Australian general practitioners" 1b-ii) Level of human involvement in the METHODS section of the ABSTRACT Clarify the level of human involvement in the abstract, e.g., use phrases like "fully automated" vs. "therapist/nurse/care provider/physician-assisted" (mention number and expertise of providers involved, if any). (Note: Only report in the abstract what the main paper is reporting. If this information is missing from the main body of text, consider adding it)

Clear selection
Does your paper address subitem 1b-ii?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript abstract (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briefly explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study audit and feedback do not require human involvement, described in the methods 1b-iii) Open vs. closed, web-based (self-assessment) vs. face-to-face assessments in the METHODS section of the ABSTRACT Mention how participants were recruited (online vs. offline), e.g., from an open access website or from a clinic or a closed online user group (closed usergroup trial), and clarify if this was a purely web-based trial, or there were face-to-face components (as part of the intervention or for assessment). Clearly say if outcomes were self-assessed through questionnaires (as common in web-based trials). Note: In traditional offline trials, an open trial (open-label trial) is a type of clinical trial in which both the researchers and participants know which treatment is being administered. To avoid confusion, use "blinded" or "unblinded" to indicated the level of blinding instead of "open", as "open" in web-based trials usually refers to "open access" (i.e. participants can self-enrol). (Note: Only report in the abstract what the main paper is reporting. If this information is missing from the main body of text, consider adding it) Does your paper address subitem 1b-iii?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript abstract (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briefly explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study Veterans using gabapentinoids were targeted, their GPs were enrolled 1b-iv) RESULTS section in abstract must contain use data Report number of participants enrolled/assessed in each group, the use/uptake of the intervention (e.g., attrition/adherence metrics, use over time, number of logins etc.), in addition to primary/secondary outcomes. (Note: Only report in the abstract what the main paper is reporting. If this information is missing from the main body of text, consider adding it)

Clear selection
Does your paper address subitem 1b-iv?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript abstract (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briefly explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briefly explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "Despite the potential advantages of electronic delivery, there is a theoretical and evidence gap regarding the influence of changing the mode of delivery on the efficacy of behavior change intervention" Does your paper address CONSORT subitem 2b? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briefly explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "To test the efficacy of the digital intervention, we (the authors) performed a cluster randomized trial of an intervention aimed at reducing inappropriate prescription of gabapentinoids by primary care providers." 3b) Important changes to methods after trial commencement (such as eligibility criteria), with reasons Does your paper address CONSORT subitem 3a? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briefly explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "To test the influence of mode of delivery on the effectiveness of audit and feedback interventions, we performed a parallel, cluster randomized trial of a computer-delivered intervention to reduce inappropriate gabapentinoid prescription. The trial was designed to compare the post-delivered intervention (usual intervention as concurrent control) with the computer-delivered intervention. Since the intervention targets GPs who may have multiple veteran patients, we adopted a cluster design whereby a GP received information for all of their patients in the intervention by the same mode." Does your paper address CONSORT subitem 3b? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briefly explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study This item is not applicable for this study.
subitem not at all important 1 2 3 4 5 essential 4a) Eligibility criteria for participants 3b-i) Bug fixes, Downtimes, Content Changes Bug fixes, Downtimes, Content Changes: ehealth systems are often dynamic systems. A description of changes to methods therefore also includes important changes made on the intervention or comparator during the trial (e.g., major bug fixes or changes in the functionality or content) (5-iii) and other "unexpected events" that may have influenced study design such as staff changes, system failures/downtimes, etc. [2].

Clear selection
Does your paper address subitem 3b-i?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briefly explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study This item is not applicable for this study. Does your paper address CONSORT subitem 4a? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briefly explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "To be eligible for participation, both veterans and their primary GP had to be eligible for the digital intervention. Eligible veterans comprised active DVA clients that had 2 or more gabapentinoid (either pregabalin or gabapentin) prescriptions in a 4-month period (October 2019 to January 2020). Veterans were also required to be resident in Australia, living in the community setting (ie, not residing in aged care or other long-term care facilities), and to not have previously requested exclusion from Veterans'MATES interventions for any reason. GPs were eligible if they were identified as the primary GP of one or more Australian veterans, and at least one of the veterans was eligible for the intervention. Participant GPs were excluded if they did not have installed capacity to receive secure electronic messages from our partner message provider (HealthLink Group Limited) or if they had previously requested exclusion from Veterans'MATES interventions for any reason."

4a-i) Computer / Internet literacy
Computer / Internet literacy is often an implicit "de facto" eligibility criterion -this should be explicitly clarified. Does your paper address subitem 4a-i?

Clear selection
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briefly explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "Participant GPs were excluded if they did not have installed capacity to receive secure electronic messages from our partner message provider (HealthLink Group Limited) " 4a-ii) Open vs. closed, web-based vs. face-to-face assessments: Open vs. closed, web-based vs. face-to-face assessments: Mention how participants were recruited (online vs. offline), e.g., from an open access website or from a clinic, and clarify if this was a purely webbased trial, or there were face-to-face components (as part of the intervention or for assessment), i.e., to what degree got the study team to know the participant. In online-only trials, clarify if participants were quasi-anonymous and whether having multiple identities was possible or whether technical or logistical measures (e.g., cookies, email confirmation, phone calls) were used to detect/prevent these.

Clear selection
Does your paper address subitem 4a-ii? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briefly explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "The trial was conducted across all Australian states and territories. We determined patient eligibility by querying the DVA claims database." subitem not at all important 1 2 3 4 5 essential 4b) Settings and locations where the data were collected 4a-iii) Information giving during recruitment Information given during recruitment. Specify how participants were briefed for recruitment and in the informed consent procedures (e.g., publish the informed consent documentation as appendix, see also item X26), as this information may have an effect on user self-selection, user expectation and may also bias results.

Clear selection
Does your paper address subitem 4a-iii?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briefly explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study This item is not applicable for this study (general practitioners were already enrolled in the Veterans' MATES program since 2004).
Does your paper address CONSORT subitem 4b? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briefly explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "The trial was conducted across all Australian states and territories. We determined patient eligibility by querying the DVA claims database. Outcome data including service provision and medicine dispensing were collected from the DVA claims database." 4b-i) Report if outcomes were (self-)assessed through online questionnaires Clearly report if outcomes were (self-)assessed through online questionnaires (as common in web-based trials) or otherwise.

Clear selection
Does your paper address subitem 4b-i? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briefly explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "Outcome data including service provision and medicine dispensing were collected from the DVA claims database"

4b-ii) Report how institutional affiliations are displayed
Report how institutional affiliations are displayed to potential participants [on ehealth media], as affiliations with prestigious hospitals or universities may affect volunteer rates, use, and reactions with regards to an intervention.(Not a required item -describe only if this may bias results) Clear selection 5) The interventions for each group with sufficient details to allow replication, including how and when they were actually administered subitem not at all important 1 2 3 4 5 essential Does your paper address subitem 4b-ii?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briefly explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study This item is not applicable to this study.

5-i) Mention names, credential, affiliations of the developers, sponsors, and owners
Mention names, credential, affiliations of the developers, sponsors, and owners [6] (if authors/evaluators are owners or developer of the software, this needs to be declared in a "Conflict of interest" section or mentioned elsewhere in the manuscript).

Clear selection
Does your paper address subitem 5-i?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briefly explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "The proposed solution is an adaptation of the 3 steps used by Veterans' MATES interventions, suited for a digital medium"

5-ii) Describe the history/development process
Describe the history/development process of the application and previous formative evaluations (e.g., focus groups, usability testing), as these will have an impact on adoption/use rates and help with interpreting results.

Clear selection
Does your paper address subitem 5-ii?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briefly explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "The most important implementation risk identified during the initial stakeholder meetings was that the intervention could be perceived as intrusive and disruptive to GP workflow. To mitigate this risk, the solution was trialed in 3 sequential small-scale pilots, taking place in April, July, and September 2019."

5-iii) Revisions and updating
Revisions and updating. Clearly mention the date and/or version number of the application/intervention (and comparator, if applicable) evaluated, or describe whether the intervention underwent major changes during the evaluation process, or whether the development and/or content was "frozen" during the trial. Describe dynamic components such as news feeds or changing content which may have an impact on the replicability of the intervention (for unexpected events see item 3b). Does your paper address subitem 5-iii?

Clear selection
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briefly explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study This item is not applicable to this study.

5-iv) Quality assurance methods
Provide information on quality assurance methods to ensure accuracy and quality of information provided [1], if applicable.

Clear selection
Does your paper address subitem 5-iv?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briefly explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study This item is not applicable to this study. essential 5-v) Ensure replicability by publishing the source code, and/or providing screenshots/screen-capture video, and/or providing flowcharts of the algorithms used Ensure replicability by publishing the source code, and/or providing screenshots/screen-capture video, and/or providing flowcharts of the algorithms used. Replicability (i.e., other researchers should in principle be able to replicate the study) is a hallmark of scientific reporting.

Clear selection
Does your paper address subitem 5-v?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briefly explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "Since we could not deliver general educational documents to the health record, the audit and feedback document was enhanced to contain a link to the online educational material (see Figure 1). Additionally, the single letter containing multiple patients was segmented into one electronic document per patient. Finally, a color chart was added at the top of the electronic document to highlight different prescription patterns and help GPs prioritize patients when receiving multiple documents."

5-vi) Digital preservation
Digital preservation: Provide the URL of the application, but as the intervention is likely to change or disappear over the course of the years; also make sure the intervention is archived (Internet Archive, webcitation.org, and/or publishing the source code or screenshots/videos alongside the article). As pages behind login screens cannot be archived, consider creating demo pages which are accessible without login. Does your paper address subitem 5-vi?

Clear selection
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briefly explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "The material can be found on the Veterans' MATES web page"

5-vii) Access
Access: Describe how participants accessed the application, in what setting/context, if they had to pay (or were paid) or not, whether they had to be a member of specific group. If known, describe how participants obtained "access to the platform and Internet" [1]. To ensure access for editors/reviewers/readers, consider to provide a "backdoor" login account or demo mode for reviewers/readers to explore the application (also important for archiving purposes, see vi).

Clear selection
Does your paper address subitem 5-vii? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briefly explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "GPs in the intervention arm received the intervention exclusively in a digitally delivered format. It was sent via secure message infrastructure directly to the GP's clinic. Once received by the practice, it is reviewed by a practice manager of the GP and assigned to the appropriate patient. Once it is assigned, it can be accessed in the electronic health record alongside pathology reports and referral letters"

Clear selection
Does your paper address subitem 5-viii? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briefly explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "The intervention is informed by social cognitive theory [12], the transtheoretical model [13], and the health promotion model PRECEDE-PROCEED [14]." "The trial was designed to compare the postdelivered intervention (usual intervention as concurrent control) with the computer-delivered intervention. Since the intervention targets GPs who may have multiple veteran patients, we adopted a cluster design whereby a GP received information for all of their patients in the intervention by the same mode."

5-ix) Describe use parameters
Describe use parameters (e.g., intended "doses" and optimal timing for use). Clarify what instructions or recommendations were given to the user, e.g., regarding timing, frequency, heaviness of use, if any, or was the intervention used ad libitum.

Clear selection
Does your paper address subitem 5-ix?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briefly explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study This item is not applicable to this study.

5-x) Clarify the level of human involvement
Clarify the level of human involvement (care providers or health professionals, also technical assistance) in the e-intervention or as co-intervention (detail number and expertise of professionals involved, if any, as well as "type of assistance offered, the timing and frequency of the support, how it is initiated, and the medium by which the assistance is delivered". It may be necessary to distinguish between the level of human involvement required for the trial, and the level of human involvement required for a routine application outside of a RCT setting (discuss under item 21 -generalizability). Does your paper address subitem 5-x?

Clear selection
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briefly explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study Your answer

5-xi) Report any prompts/reminders used
Report any prompts/reminders used: Clarify if there were prompts (letters, emails, phone calls, SMS) to use the application, what triggered them, frequency etc. It may be necessary to distinguish between the level of prompts/reminders required for the trial, and the level of prompts/reminders for a routine application outside of a RCT setting (discuss under item 21 -generalizability).
Does your paper address subitem 5-xi? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briefly explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "GPs in the intervention arm received the intervention exclusively in a digitally delivered format. It was sent via secure message infrastructure directly to the GP's clinic. Once received by the practice, it is reviewed by a practice manager of the GP and assigned to the appropriate patient. Once it is assigned, it can be accessed in the electronic health record alongside pathology reports and referral letters."

Clear selection
Does your paper address subitem 5-xii? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briefly explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study

No co-interventions were included in this study
Does your paper address CONSORT subitem 6a? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briefly explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "The total mass amount was determined according to all claimed prescriptions of gabapentin and pregabalin in the 3 months prior to the intervention (January 3, 2020, to April 2, 2020) and in the 6 months (July 3, 2020, to October 2, 2020) and 12 months (January 3, 2021, to April 2, 2021) following the intervention." subitem not at all important

Clear selection
Does your paper address subitem 6a-i?

Copy and paste relevant sections from manuscript text
No online questionnaires were used.
6a-ii) Describe whether and how "use" (including intensity of use/dosage) was defined/measured/monitored Describe whether and how "use" (including intensity of use/dosage) was defined/measured/monitored (logins, logfile analysis, etc.). Use/adoption metrics are important process outcomes that should be reported in any ehealth trial.

Clear selection
subitem not at all important 1 2 3 4 5 essential Does your paper address subitem 6a-ii?
Copy and paste relevant sections from manuscript text "Since the dosing of pregabalin and gabapentin are different, we calculated DDD for each medicine and summed the results. To remove the influence of extreme stockpiling and dispensing data errors, patients with a DDD over 10 (10 times the defined daily dose) were removed from analysis. The DDD was created by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a comparative unit of medicine use [27]. In this study, it allows the comparison of different gabapentinoids, such as gabapentin and pregabalin." 6a-iii) Describe whether, how, and when qualitative feedback from participants was obtained Describe whether, how, and when qualitative feedback from participants was obtained (e.g., through emails, feedback forms, interviews, focus groups).
Clear selection 6b) Any changes to trial outcomes after the trial commenced, with reasons 7a) How sample size was determined NPT: When applicable, details of whether and how the clustering by care provides or centers was addressed Does your paper address subitem 6a-iii?
Copy and paste relevant sections from manuscript text "For the first pilot, a convenience sample of 75 GPs were sent an email invitation to participate (opt-in), and 5 GPs agreed to be included. For the second pilot, we selected a convenience sample of 20 GPs who could opt out of the pilot. For the third pilot, 189 messages were sent to GPs who had not participated previously. We received 6 survey responses, and all responders evaluated the usability as good (easy to read, correct information) and were either likely or very likely to continue to subscribe to future interventions. We received a single letter advising a patient had recently switched medical providers. Given the lack of negative feedback and positive survey responses, the project leadership considered the pilot successful and the intervention feasible, and approved the randomized controlled trial. " Does your paper address CONSORT subitem 6b? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briefly explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study No changes were made after commencement subitem not at all important 1 2 3 4 5 essential 7b) When applicable, explanation of any interim analyses and stopping guidelines 8a) Method used to generate the random allocation sequence NPT: When applicable, how care providers were allocated to each trial group 7a-i) Describe whether and how expected attrition was taken into account when calculating the sample size Describe whether and how expected attrition was taken into account when calculating the sample size.

Clear selection
Does your paper address subitem 7a-i?
Copy and paste relevant sections from manuscript title (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briefly explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study Attrition is not relevant for this study (single use) Does your paper address CONSORT subitem 7b? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briefly explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study This item is not applicable for this study 8b) Type of randomisation; details of any restriction (such as blocking and block size) 9) Mechanism used to implement the random allocation sequence (such as sequentially numbered containers), describing any steps taken to conceal the sequence until interventions were assigned Does your paper address CONSORT subitem 8a? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briefly explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "GPs were randomized 1:1 to intervention or usual care. Randomization was block stratified by number of veterans under care. Randomization numbers for each GP were computer generated by a statistician who was not involved in enrolment. Due to the highly automated nature of the intervention and data collection (claims data), no further masking procedures were performed. " Does your paper address CONSORT subitem 8b? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briefly explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "GPs were randomized 1:1 to intervention or usual care. Randomization was block stratified by number of veterans under care. Randomization numbers for each GP were computer generated by a statistician who was not involved in enrolment. Due to the highly automated nature of the intervention and data collection (claims data), no further masking procedures were performed. " 10) Who generated the random allocation sequence, who enrolled participants, and who assigned participants to interventions 11a) If done, who was blinded after assignment to interventions (for example, participants, care providers, those assessing outcomes) and how NPT: Whether or not administering co-interventions were blinded to group assignment Does your paper address CONSORT subitem 9? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briefly explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "GPs were randomized 1:1 to intervention or usual care. Randomization was block stratified by number of veterans under care. Randomization numbers for each GP were computer generated by a statistician who was not involved in enrolment. Due to the highly automated nature of the intervention and data collection (claims data), no further masking procedures were performed. " Does your paper address CONSORT subitem 10? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briefly explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "Randomization numbers for each GP were computer generated by a statistician who was not involved in enrolment." 11a-i) Specify who was blinded, and who wasn't Specify who was blinded, and who wasn't. Usually, in web-based trials it is not possible to blind the participants [1, 3] (this should be clearly acknowledged), but it may be possible to blind outcome assessors, those doing data analysis or those administering co-interventions (if any).

Clear selection
Does your paper address subitem 11a-i? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briefly explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "Randomization numbers for each GP were computer generated by a statistician who was not involved in enrolment." 11a-ii) Discuss e.g., whether participants knew which intervention was the "intervention of interest" and which one was the "comparator" Informed consent procedures (4a-ii) can create biases and certain expectations -discuss e.g., whether participants knew which intervention was the "intervention of interest" and which one was the "comparator".

11b) If relevant, description of the similarity of interventions
(this item is usually not relevant for ehealth trials as it refers to similarity of a placebo or sham intervention to a active medication/intervention) Does your paper address subitem 11a-ii?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briefly explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "GPs in the intervention arm received the intervention exclusively in a digitally delivered format. It was sent via secure message infrastructure directly to the GP's clinic. Once received by the practice, it is reviewed by a practice manager of the GP and assigned to the appropriate patient. Once it is assigned, it can be accessed in the electronic health record alongside pathology reports and referral letters. GPs in the usual care arm received the intervention by postal service. This delivery contains both the audit and feedback documents (for all selected veteran patients) and the educational materials (including a copy of the material targeted at veterans)" Does your paper address CONSORT subitem 11b? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briefly explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "Both sets of materials contained the same theoretical content and personal information. Due to feedback from users, the digitally delivered intervention was slightly modified to user workflow. Since we could not deliver general educational documents to the health record, the audit and feedback document was enhanced to contain a link to the online educational material (see Figure 1). Additionally, the single letter containing multiple patients was segmented into one electronic document per patient. Finally, a color chart was added at the top of the electronic document to highlight different prescription patterns and help GPs prioritize patients when receiving multiple documents." 12a) Statistical methods used to compare groups for primary and secondary outcomes NPT: When applicable, details of whether and how the clustering by care providers or centers was addressed subitem not at all important 1 2 3 4 5 essential Does your paper address CONSORT subitem 12a? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briefly explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "We analyzed data from services and medicines claims for all enrolled patients who were alive at 12 months postintervention.
To account for the cluster design, we analyzed the primary outcome using a linear mixed-effects model [28], with the GP as the grouping variable. The effect of mode of delivery on patients' likelihood of visiting a psychologist was tested by logistic regression, also using GP as the grouping variable" 12a-i) Imputation techniques to deal with attrition / missing values Imputation techniques to deal with attrition / missing values: Not all participants will use the intervention/comparator as intended and attrition is typically high in ehealth trials. Specify how participants who did not use the application or dropped out from the trial were treated in the statistical analysis (a complete case analysis is strongly discouraged, and simple imputation techniques such as LOCF may also be problematic [4]).

Clear selection
Does your paper address subitem 12a-i? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briefly explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study

Clear selection
Does your paper address subitem X26-ii?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briefly explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study This trial is a modification of a previous existing intervention running continuously since 2004 (4 modules each year), so there was no additional enrolment for this particular trial.
subitem not at all important 1 2 3 4 5 essential RESULTS 13a) For each group, the numbers of participants who were randomly assigned, received intended treatment, and were analysed for the primary outcome NPT: The number of care providers or centers performing the intervention in each group and the number of patients treated by each care provider in each center

X26-iii) Safety and security procedures
Safety and security procedures, incl. privacy considerations, and any steps taken to reduce the likelihood or detection of harm (e.g., education and training, availability of a hotline)

Clear selection
Does your paper address subitem X26-iii?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briefly explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study This item is not relevant for this study 13b) For each group, losses and exclusions after randomisation, together with reasons subitem not at all important 1 2 3 4 5 essential Does your paper address CONSORT subitem 13a? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briefly explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "A total of 3271 veterans were considered eligible for the intervention, and 2552 GPs were identified as their main care providers (Figure 2). After randomization, the intervention was successfully delivered in March/April 2020. The postal intervention was sent to GPs on March 19, 2020. The computer-delivered intervention was delivered in three waves (on March 23, March 25, and April 2, 2020)." Does your paper address CONSORT subitem 13b? (NOTE: Preferably, this is shown in a CONSORT flow diagram) * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briefly explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study " Figure  Does your paper address subitem 13b-i?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript or cite the figure number if applicable (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briefly explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study Attrition is not relevant for this study (single use).
Does your paper address CONSORT subitem 14a? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briefly explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "The total mass amount was determined according to all claimed prescriptions of gabapentin and pregabalin in the 3 months prior to the intervention (January 3, 2020, to April 2, 2020) and in the 6 months (July 3, 2020, to October 2, 2020) and 12 months (January 3, 2021, to April 2, 2021) following the intervention" 14a-i) Indicate if critical "secular events" fell into the study period Indicate if critical "secular events" fell into the study period, e.g., significant changes in Internet resources available or "changes in computer hardware or Internet delivery resources" Clear selection 14b) Why the trial ended or was stopped (early)

15) A table showing baseline demographic and clinical characteristics for each group
NPT: When applicable, a description of care providers (case volume, qualification, expertise, etc.) and centers (volume) in each group Does your paper address subitem 14a-i?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briefly explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "The timing of this study is an important limitation of this study, as intervention delivery coincided with the initial restrictions implemented in Australia in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. The week of the intervention, several policies to restrict gatherings and reduce risk of contagion were enacted [33], which influenced some of the metrics used in this study. Medicine dispensing was likely affected, with stockpiling occurring and a temporary lack of access. Additionally, many clinics were closed to avoid waiting room risks, and appointments via telehealth were funded by the Department of Health. This may have influenced intervention effectiveness, as the opportunity to adjust therapy was reduced; however, it is unlikely to have affected the assessment of mode of delivery as both arms of the trial would have been equally affected by the COVID-19 restrictions. Postal mail services were fully maintained during restrictions." Does your paper address CONSORT subitem 14b? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briefly explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study The trial ended as initially predicted https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfZBSUp1bwOc_OimqcS64RdfIAFvmrTSkZQL2-3O8O9hrL5Sw/viewform?hl=en_US&formkey=dGlKd2… 46/60 subitem not at all important 1 2 3 4 5 essential 16) For each group, number of participants (denominator) included in each analysis and whether the analysis was by original assigned groups Does your paper address CONSORT subitem 15? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briefly explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study " Table 2. Clinical and demographic data at baseline."

15-i) Report demographics associated with digital divide issues
In ehealth trials it is particularly important to report demographics associated with digital divide issues, such as age, education, gender, social-economic status, computer/Internet/ehealth literacy of the participants, if known.

Clear selection
Does your paper address subitem 15-i? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briefly explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "We excluded all practitioners not found in the partner's (Healthlink Group Limited) provider directory, as they would be unable to receive secure electronic messages. " 16-i) Report multiple "denominators" and provide definitions Report multiple "denominators" and provide definitions: Report N's (and effect sizes) "across a range of study participation [and use] thresholds" [1], e.g., N exposed, N consented, N used more than x times, N used more than y weeks, N participants "used" the intervention/comparator at specific pre-defined time points of interest (in absolute and relative numbers per group). Always clearly define "use" of the intervention.

Clear selection
Does your paper address subitem 16-i? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briefly explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study Not relevant for this study.

16-ii) Primary analysis should be intent-to-treat
Primary analysis should be intent-to-treat, secondary analyses could include comparing only "users", with the appropriate caveats that this is no longer a randomized sample (see 18-i).
Clear selection 17a) For each primary and secondary outcome, results for each group, and the estimated effect size and its precision (such as 95% confidence interval) Does your paper address subitem 16-ii?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briefly explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study Engagement was not measured (single use), and all participants were considered in the analysis Does your paper address CONSORT subitem 17a? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briefly explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "By the end of the study, both intervention groups had a significant reduction in gabapentinoid dispensing, as measured by the change in average daily DDD from baseline to 12 months (digital: mean reduction of 0.058, SD 0.38, or 11.2%, P=.004; postal: mean reduction of 0.058, SD 0.37, or 11.2%, P=.001). We found no difference between digital and postal mode of delivery in reduction of gabapentinoid volume at 6 or 12 months (Table 3) In addition to primary/secondary (clinical) outcomes, the presentation of process outcomes such as metrics of use and intensity of use (dose, exposure) and their operational definitions is critical. This does not only refer to metrics of attrition (13-b) (often a binary variable), but also to more continuous exposure metrics such as "average session length". These must be accompanied by a technical description how a metric like a "session" is defined (e.g., timeout after idle time) [1] (report under item 6a).

Clear selection
Does your paper address subitem 17a-i?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briefly explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study Process outcomes are not relevant for this study Does your paper address CONSORT subitem 17b? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briefly explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study Does your paper address CONSORT subitem 18? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briefly explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "Veterans were segmented according to dose and concurrent opioid use. Consistent with the results of the primary analysis, no differences were found between the digital and postal interventions in any subgroup analysis. Dose reduction was more pronounced in high-dose gabapentinoid users, and there was no observed reduction in the average dose of low-dose users in either arm"

18-i) Subgroup analysis of comparing only users
A subgroup analysis of comparing only users is not uncommon in ehealth trials, but if done, it must be stressed that this is a self-selected sample and no longer an unbiased sample from a randomized trial (see 16-iii).

Clear selection
Does your paper address subitem 18-i?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briefly explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "Veterans were segmented according to dose and concurrent opioid use. Consistent with the results of the primary analysis, no differences were found between the digital and postal interventions in any subgroup analysis. Dose reduction was more pronounced in high-dose gabapentinoid users, and there was no observed reduction in the average dose of low-dose users in either arm"

19-i) Include privacy breaches, technical problems
Include privacy breaches, technical problems. This does not only include physical "harm" to participants, but also incidents such as perceived or real privacy breaches [1], technical problems, and other unexpected/unintended incidents. "Unintended effects" also includes unintended positive effects [2].

Clear selection
Does your paper address subitem 19-i?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briefly explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study No privacy breaches were detected.

Clear selection
Does your paper address subitem 19-ii?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briefly explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "We received 6 survey responses, and all responders evaluated the usability as good (easy to read, correct information) and were either likely or very likely to continue to subscribe to future interventions. We received a single letter advising a patient had recently switched medical providers." Restate study questions and summarize the answers suggested by the data, starting with primary outcomes and process outcomes (use).

Clear selection
Does your paper address subitem 22-i? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briefly explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "In this study, we present the successful migration of a paper-based national behavior change intervention into a digital intervention. After a careful scaling of the intervention, ample communication, and stakeholder support, we were able to perform a large-scale randomized controlled trial covering all Australian states. The trial showed that both paper and digital versions of an intervention composed of education and audit and feedback was effective in reducing gabapentinoid prescriptions for an Australian population. Additionally, it showed that the digital intervention is equivalent to paper in changing prescription patterns."

20-i) Typical limitations in ehealth trials
Typical limitations in ehealth trials: Participants in ehealth trials are rarely blinded. Ehealth trials often look at a multiplicity of outcomes, increasing risk for a Type I error. Discuss biases due to non-use of the intervention/usability issues, biases through informed consent procedures, unexpected events.
Clear selection 21) Generalisability (external validity, applicability) of the trial findings NPT: External validity of the trial findings according to the intervention, comparators, patients, and care providers or centers involved in the trial subitem not at all important 1 2 3 4 5 essential Does your paper address subitem 20-i? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briefly explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "The timing of this study is an important limitation of this study, as intervention delivery coincided with the initial restrictions implemented in Australia in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. The week of the intervention, several policies to restrict gatherings and reduce risk of contagion were enacted [33], which influenced some of the metrics used in this study. Medicine dispensing was likely affected, with stockpiling occurring and a temporary lack of access. Additionally, many clinics were closed to avoid waiting room risks, and appointments via telehealth were funded by the Department of Health. This may have influenced intervention effectiveness, as the opportunity to adjust therapy was reduced; however, it is unlikely to have affected the assessment of mode of delivery as both arms of the trial would have been equally affected by the COVID-19 restrictions. Postal mail services were fully maintained during restrictions"

21-i) Generalizability to other populations
Generalizability to other populations: In particular, discuss generalizability to a general Internet population, outside of a RCT setting, and general patient population, including applicability of the study results for other organizations

23) Registration number and name of trial registry
Does your paper address subitem 21-i?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briefly explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "Digital delivery changes how participants interact with and experience the intervention. Integration with the patient electronic health record reduces the effort required to create new patient requests, such as actively inviting patients to a follow-up appointment."

21-ii) Discuss if there were elements in the RCT that would be different in a routine application setting
Discuss if there were elements in the RCT that would be different in a routine application setting (e.g., prompts/reminders, more human involvement, training sessions or other co-interventions) and what impact the omission of these elements could have on use, adoption, or outcomes if the intervention is applied outside of a RCT setting.

Clear selection
Does your paper address subitem 21-ii?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briefly explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study This RCT was part of a routine application setting.

24)
Where the full trial protocol can be accessed, if available 25) Sources of funding and other support (such as supply of drugs), role of funders X27) Conflicts of Interest (not a CONSORT item) Does your paper address CONSORT subitem 23? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briefly explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study To reduce the bias in analysis, all analytic procedures (for this and all other interventions) are prospectively defined and submitted to the Australian Government Department of Veterans' Affairs for evaluation and approval. However, there is no formal registration number and the plan is not made public available due to confidentiality reasons.

Does your paper address CONSORT subitem 24? *
Cite a Multimedia Appendix, other reference, or copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briefly explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study The full trial protocol is not publicly available.
Does your paper address CONSORT subitem 25? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briefly explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study This work was funded by the Australian Government Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA) as part of the Veterans' Medicines Advice and Therapeutics Education Services (Veterans'MATES) program. In addition to the usual declaration of interests (financial or otherwise), also state the relation of the study team towards the system being evaluated, i.e., state if the authors/evaluators are distinct from or identical with the developers/sponsors of the intervention.

Clear selection
Does your paper address subitem X27-i?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or briefly explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study Conflicts of Interest None declared.
As a result of using this checklist, did you make changes in your manuscript? * What were the most important changes you made as a result of using this checklist?
Your answer