The effect of a tailored message package for reducing antibiotic use among respiratory tract infection patients in rural Anhui, China: a cluster randomized controlled trial protocol

BACKGROUND: Antibiotics are over-used for patients with respiratory tract infections (RTIs) in primary care, especially in the rural areas of China. METHODS: A cluster randomized controlled trial (RCT) will be carried out to estimate the effectiveness of a tailored message package for educating patients to reduce antibiotic use for symptomatic respiratory tract infections (RTIs). In the intervention group, patients will receive 12 short messages in 12 consecutive days. The whole process of the message design, modification, translation (of substitution variables), and sending will be facilitated by a user-friendly mini-computer program. The primary measure for assessment is the reduction in number of days in which antibiotics are used by patients with symptomatic RTIs. The secondary measures include (1) patients’ knowledge about and attitude toward antibiotics; (2) patients’ quality of life (EQ-5D-5L) and symptom severity and duration; (3) times of re-visits to clinics and antibiotics re-prescription for the same RTI episode; and (4) times of re-occurrence of RTIs and related health service seeking and antibiotics consumption. DISCUSSION: This study will determine the efficacy of a 12-message intervention to educate patients to reduce excessive antibiotic use in rural China. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN29801086. Registered on 23 September 2022. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13063-023-07664-8.