A national learning community to improve antibiotic prescribing in out-of-hours general practice
Sheila Torquato HUMPHREYS, Maria Teresa SILVA and Miguel VIEIRA
Approximately 15% of the Dutch population visits a general practitioner at out-of-hours general practice services (OOH-GPS) at least once per year. Antibiotics are among the most frequently prescribed medications at these services, with considerable variation between locations, suggesting room for improvement. Inappropriate or excessive prescribing can contribute to antibiotic resistance, increased side effects, higher healthcare costs, and negative environmental impacts.This study aimed to develop a national learning community and provide an overview of interventions to promote appropriate antibiotic prescribing in OOH-GPS.We collected data on existing interventions through a survey amongst Dutch OOH-GPS and an international literature review. Next, we identified facilitators and barriers to implementation, using the RE-AIM framework, from an organizational perspective via a learning community session with Dutch OOH-GPS and from the perspectives of healthcare providers and patients through interviews and surveys.The literature review indicated that interventions primarily focus on physician education (e.g., webinars, e-learnings), patient education (e.g., booklets, infographics), and communication strategies (e.g., guideline-based instructions). Audit and feedback strategies, such as personalized feedback and prescribing comparisons, are also often applied. Successful implementation was facilitated by early and voluntary stakeholder involvement, tailored materials, and patient education, while key barriers include varying motivation, practical constraints, and resistance to change. 17 OOH-GPS filled out the survey. Decision support and diagnostics were the most often used interventions. Stakeholder involvement was most often mentioned as facilitator and time pressure as barrier.Knowledge exchange in learning community sessions enhances the yield of data collection beyond literature reviews, surveys and interviews.The learning community session showed the potential benefits of cross regional knowledge exchange to enhance sustainable antibiotic prescribing practices in OOH-PCS. An overview of interventions to promote appropriate antibiotics prescribing at OOH-PCS was created that can be used to discuss AMR interventions at OOH-PCS within the own country.
