Changing the behaviour of health professionals: challenges in evidence-based approaches to implementation intervention research

Abstract

Rationale: Implementation interventions are designed to change clinical practice behaviour and improve the uptake of evidence into practice (French et al., 2012). To date, implementation interventions targeting health professional behaviour change have had limited and varied effects. Challenges abound with this type of research. This year’s EHPS conference, focusing on ‘Principles of Behaviour Change in Health and Illness’, provides a timely opportunity to reflect on challenges in this area of research and flag priority issues to improve future research quality. Aims: 1. To showcase, and share lessons learned from, research across Europe targeting health professional behaviour change at varying stages of intervention development and testing 2. To identify key challenges of implementing evidence-based approaches to target health professional behaviour change 3. To outline methodological considerations and future directions in implementation intervention research Summary : The symposium will consist of four oral presentations outlining implementation intervention research at different stages of the process: Gerry Molloy’s presentation which focuses on understanding general practitioners’ views about prescribing contraception; Molly Byrne’s presentation will focus on moving from an understanding of provision of sexual counselling as a component of hospital cardiac rehabilitation to intervention development; Natalie Gould’s presentation will focus on the challenge of specifying the ’who’ in a multi-level clinical context, using the example of audit and feedback of blood transfusion practice. Marie Johnston will focus on the evidence of current behaviours and cognitions that justify implementation of a theory and evidence-based intervention being trialled to improve clinicians’ management of diabetes. Ronan O Carroll will pull together common threads from the presentations to discuss some shared methodological considerations and highlight future directions for research.