Applying the Behaviour Change Wheel in an AMS intervention
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Application of the Behaviour Change Wheel in designing and testing an antimicrobial stewardship intervention in primary care: A pilot intervention.
IRAS ID
306152
Contact name
Jaci Huws
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Bangor University
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
Not applicable, Not applicable
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 10 months, 30 days
Research summary
Antibiotics are lifesaving medicines used to treat potentially fatal infections thus preventing millions of deaths annually. However, they are not always required in some cases including acute coughs, colds, and viral sore throats that would usually resolve without the need for antibiotics. But antibiotics prescribing rates remains high globally and 50% of antibiotic prescriptions are deemed inappropriate or unnecessary and a key driver for antimicrobial resistance which is projected to cause approximately 10 million deaths by 2050. Health Boards and Trusts in the United Kingdom employ different strategies to optimise the use of antimicrobial agents including the Antibiotic Review Toolkit (ARK), Start Smart then Focus (SSTF), and TARGET. Despite these interventions, the rates of inappropriate/ off-guidance prescriptions in both primary and acute healthcare settings remain significantly high.
This study seeks to improve antimicrobial prescription practices in General practitioner surgeries (and will involve GP based prescribers namely doctors, nurses, pharmacists) in North Wales by applying behaviour change techniques and principles to existing antimicrobial stewardship interventions.
The study will involve a baseline survey on the salient socio-cognitive predictors of appropriate prescribing, delivery of an online course on appropriate prescribing, and an end line survey which will be compared with the baseline survey findings. We propose to strengthen antimicrobial audit feedback by applying relevant behaviour change techniques and principles during the intervention period. This will partly be achieved through monthly feedback reports specific to the GP practices and antimicrobial spotlight sessions attended by the practices taking part in the intervention. We are also proposing to recognise the efforts of the GP surgeries through an official letter and certificate of recognition signed by a Health Board's executive team member as a form of incentivisation for the prescribers and wanted to check that this will be possible.REC name
N/A
REC reference
N/A