The University of Southampton
University of Southampton Institutional Repository

Focus on early-career GPs: Qualitative evaluation of a multi-facteted educational intervention to improve antibiotic prescribing

Focus on early-career GPs: Qualitative evaluation of a multi-facteted educational intervention to improve antibiotic prescribing
Focus on early-career GPs: Qualitative evaluation of a multi-facteted educational intervention to improve antibiotic prescribing
Background: we conducted an educational intervention emphasizing rational antibiotic prescribing in early-career General Practitioners (GP) in vocational training (trainees). The intervention consisted of an online introduction module, an online communication training module, face-to-face workshops, and cases to be discussed one-on-one by the trainee–supervisor dyad during regular scheduled education sessions.

Objectives: to explore the participants’ experiences with the intervention.

Methods: a qualitative study of 14 GP trainees and supervisors. Interviews followed a semi-structured interview guide, were transcribed and analysed using concurrent thematic analysis.

Results: overall, the intervention was well received. Resources were not often used in practice, but GP trainees used the information in communicating with patients. The intervention improved trainees’ confidence and provided new communication strategies, e.g. explicitly asking about patients’ expectations and talking patients through the examination to form an overall clinical picture. Trainees seemed eager to learn and adapt their practice, whereas GP supervisors rather commented that the intervention was reinforcing. None of the participants reported prescribing conflicts between trainee and supervisor. However, most participants identified conflicts within the GP practice or with specialists: other doctors who prescribe more antibiotics perpetuate patients’ ideas that antibiotics will fix everything, which in turn causes conflict with the patient and undermines attempts to improve antibiotic prescribing.

Conclusion: the educational intervention was received positively. Early-career GPs thought it influenced their prescribing behaviour and improved their confidence in non-prescribing. Interventions that target teams (e.g. entire practice) could minimize conflict, ensure consistency of messages and support overall antibiotic stewardship in primary care.
0263-2136
1-6
Deckx, Laura
cb1c1ab0-fb9a-4df5-9fd9-c7b770a2ef24
Anthierens, Sibyl
0022fa80-cacc-4326-bf4f-4b626445626f
Magin, Parker J.
3cdf4d46-2303-440c-a2a8-1b464925a17b
Morgan, S.
6aaade73-384f-4325-a4b5-825e33ac30aa
McArther, Lawrie
3567f2e3-5860-4c84-846d-7780943985da
Yardley, Lucy
64be42c4-511d-484d-abaa-f8813452a22e
Dallas, Anthea
93d06d05-26c6-4c65-ad64-32348a3a6339
Little, Paul
1bf2d1f7-200c-47a5-ab16-fe5a8756a777
van Driel, Mieke L.
daeac878-0204-4bd3-8b06-5389a10c1ab0
Deckx, Laura
cb1c1ab0-fb9a-4df5-9fd9-c7b770a2ef24
Anthierens, Sibyl
0022fa80-cacc-4326-bf4f-4b626445626f
Magin, Parker J.
3cdf4d46-2303-440c-a2a8-1b464925a17b
Morgan, S.
6aaade73-384f-4325-a4b5-825e33ac30aa
McArther, Lawrie
3567f2e3-5860-4c84-846d-7780943985da
Yardley, Lucy
64be42c4-511d-484d-abaa-f8813452a22e
Dallas, Anthea
93d06d05-26c6-4c65-ad64-32348a3a6339
Little, Paul
1bf2d1f7-200c-47a5-ab16-fe5a8756a777
van Driel, Mieke L.
daeac878-0204-4bd3-8b06-5389a10c1ab0

Deckx, Laura, Anthierens, Sibyl, Magin, Parker J., Morgan, S., McArther, Lawrie, Yardley, Lucy, Dallas, Anthea, Little, Paul and van Driel, Mieke L. (2018) Focus on early-career GPs: Qualitative evaluation of a multi-facteted educational intervention to improve antibiotic prescribing. Family Practice, 35 (1), 1-6. (doi:10.1093/fampra/cmx074).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Background: we conducted an educational intervention emphasizing rational antibiotic prescribing in early-career General Practitioners (GP) in vocational training (trainees). The intervention consisted of an online introduction module, an online communication training module, face-to-face workshops, and cases to be discussed one-on-one by the trainee–supervisor dyad during regular scheduled education sessions.

Objectives: to explore the participants’ experiences with the intervention.

Methods: a qualitative study of 14 GP trainees and supervisors. Interviews followed a semi-structured interview guide, were transcribed and analysed using concurrent thematic analysis.

Results: overall, the intervention was well received. Resources were not often used in practice, but GP trainees used the information in communicating with patients. The intervention improved trainees’ confidence and provided new communication strategies, e.g. explicitly asking about patients’ expectations and talking patients through the examination to form an overall clinical picture. Trainees seemed eager to learn and adapt their practice, whereas GP supervisors rather commented that the intervention was reinforcing. None of the participants reported prescribing conflicts between trainee and supervisor. However, most participants identified conflicts within the GP practice or with specialists: other doctors who prescribe more antibiotics perpetuate patients’ ideas that antibiotics will fix everything, which in turn causes conflict with the patient and undermines attempts to improve antibiotic prescribing.

Conclusion: the educational intervention was received positively. Early-career GPs thought it influenced their prescribing behaviour and improved their confidence in non-prescribing. Interventions that target teams (e.g. entire practice) could minimize conflict, ensure consistency of messages and support overall antibiotic stewardship in primary care.

Text
Deckx_ChAP qual_FP 2017 - Accepted Manuscript
Download (103kB)

More information

Accepted/In Press date: 10 July 2017
e-pub ahead of print date: 17 July 2017
Published date: 16 January 2018

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 414914
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/414914
ISSN: 0263-2136
PURE UUID: 53b49aab-cd7d-4e38-8b8c-9b7e8883ef07
ORCID for Lucy Yardley: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-3853-883X
ORCID for Paul Little: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0003-3664-1873

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 16 Oct 2017 16:30
Last modified: 12 Jul 2024 04:06

Export record

Altmetrics

Contributors

Author: Laura Deckx
Author: Sibyl Anthierens
Author: Parker J. Magin
Author: S. Morgan
Author: Lawrie McArther
Author: Lucy Yardley ORCID iD
Author: Anthea Dallas
Author: Paul Little ORCID iD
Author: Mieke L. van Driel

Download statistics

Downloads from ePrints over the past year. Other digital versions may also be available to download e.g. from the publisher's website.

View more statistics

Atom RSS 1.0 RSS 2.0

Contact ePrints Soton: eprints@soton.ac.uk

ePrints Soton supports OAI 2.0 with a base URL of http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/cgi/oai2

This repository has been built using EPrints software, developed at the University of Southampton, but available to everyone to use.

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue without changing your settings, we will assume that you are happy to receive cookies on the University of Southampton website.

×