Competitive external grants funding received by the Research and Evaluation Unit for projects in 2018 are:
Family Medical Care Education and Research (FMCER) RACGP Research Grant
GP registrars’ and their supervisors’ attitudes to, and experience of, the use of delayed antibiotic prescribing for acute respiratory tract infections
The aim of this research is to explore the use of delayed prescribing of antibiotics for respiratory tract infections (that is, when the doctor gives the patient a prescription with advice to not use it unless symptoms worsen or improvement does not occur by a certain time).
The study methodology is a qualitative study employing thematic analysis. Study participants will be Australian general practice registrars and supervisors. Participants will be asked to complete a telephone semi-structured interview regarding their experience and perceptions of delayed prescribing of antibiotics.
The study is being led by Dr Anthea Dallas, University of Tasmania. This research is a continuation of her work with our team following her academic term as a GP registrar with North Coast General Practice Training. Other members of the team are Prof Parker Magin, Prof Mieke van Driel, Dr Andrew Davey, Prof Paul Glasziou and Prof Josh Davis.
RACGP Education Research Grant 03
Design, delivery and evaluation of an educational intervention for GP registrars in reviewing older patients’ medication regimens and deprescribing inappropriate medications.
The goal of the project is to design, deliver and evaluate an educational intervention on rational deprescribing. The educational intervention will provide registrars with the skills to critically review older patients’ (patients aged 65 and older) medication regimens using an approach that will facilitate deprescribing of potentially inappropriate medications in the elderly if, in the particular patient, they are more likely to cause harm than benefit.
Components of the research will include:
- designing an intervention, informed by the literature in this area, data on the deprescribing practice of GP registrars from the Registrar Clinical Encounters in Training (ReCEnT) cohort study, and the clinical and educational expertise of the project team
- delivery of the intervention to GP Synergy registrars. Eastern Victoria GP Training (EVGP) and General Practice Training Tasmania (GPTT) will continue to deliver their current educational material around prescribing. This constitutes a non-equivalent control groups design
- establishing the effectiveness of the intervention utilizing analysis of ReCEnT data pre- and post-intervention in intervention (GP Synergy) and control (GPTT and EVGP). As well, we will conduct a clinical-vignette-based questionnaire pre- and post-intervention study
- conducting a qualitative study of registrars to explore participants’ experiences of the educational intervention, which aspects of the intervention were effective (or otherwise) and how the intervention has influenced their deprescribing practices. Among other purposes, it will identify aspects of the intervention which require iteration.
The project is being led by Prof Parker Magin. Other members of the team are Prof Sarah Hilmer, Prof Mieke van Driel, Prof Billie Bonevski, Assoc Prof Elizabeth Holliday, Assoc Prof Chris Etherton-Beer, Ms Amanda Tapley, Prof Neil Spike, Dr Andrew Davey and Dr Linda Klein.
RACGP Education Research Grant 02
Improving guideline compliance for prescription of benzodiazepines and related drugs in general practice registrars: a pragmatic trial employing a non-equivalent control groups design and post-intervention qualitative evaluation.
The goal of this project is to decrease registrars’ prescribing of benzodiazepines and related drugs (hereafter ‘benzodiazepines’).
Previous ReCEnT study analyses suggest registrar benzodiazepine-prescribing requires additional vocational training to inform the prescribing of benzodiazepines.
Results of our previous ReCEnT cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses (establishing circumstances and associations of registrars’ benzodiazepine-prescribing), our literature reviews, and consultations with experts in drug and alcohol medicine and behaviour-change science will inform the construction of a behaviour-based educational intervention:
- The intervention will be delivered, separately, to both GP Synergy registrars and supervisors. GPTT and EVGP will continue to deliver existing benzodiazepine-prescribing education (‘usual practice’). This constitutes a non-equivalent control groups design.
- The effectiveness of the intervention will be established by utilizing analysis of ReCEnT data pre- and post-intervention in intervention and control regions as well as a clinical-vignette-based questionnaire pre- and post-intervention study.
- A qualitative study of registrars and supervisors will be conducted to explore participants’ experiences of the behaviour-based educational intervention, which aspects of the intervention were effective (or otherwise) and how the intervention has influenced their benzodiazepine-related consulting and prescribing practices. Among other purposes, it will identify aspects of the intervention which require iteration.
The project is being led by Prof Parker Magin and Dr Simon Holliday. Other members of the team are Prof Mieke van Driel, Prof Billie Bonevski, Professor Adrian Dunlop, Assoc Prof Elizabeth Holliday, Ms Amanda Tapley, Prof Neil Spike and Dr Andrew Davey.
