Abstract
Objective: Despite guidelines and campaigns, general practitioners (GPs) continue to overprescribe benzodiazepines (BZDs). New approaches to improve prescribing are needed. Using behavior change techniques and tailoring interventions to user characteristics are vital to promote behavior change. This study evaluated the impact of a tailored e-learning module on factors known to determine BZD prescribing within GPs.Design: A pretest-posttest study design with three self-report assessments concerning determinants of BZD prescribing: at baseline, immediately after the module (short term) and six months after completion (long term).Setting: Flanders (Belgium)Intervention: A tailored e-module that focuses on avoiding initial BZD prescriptions and using psychological interventions as an alternative.Subjects: 244 GPsMain outcome measures: Assessed determinants include GPs’ attitudes concerning treatment options, perceptions of the patient and self-efficacy beliefs. Readiness to adhere to prescribing guidelines was evaluated through assessing motivation, self-efficacy and implementability of non-pharmacological interventions.Results: A significant and durable impact on determinants of BZD prescribing was observed. GPs underwent desirable changes in attitudes, perceptions and self-efficacy beliefs and these changes remained significant six months later.Conclusion: Tailoring an e-intervention to target group characteristics appears to be successful in promoting behavioral change in experienced GPs. Significant and lasting changes were observed in determinants of prescribing BZDs.Key PointsA tailored e-intervention resulted in significant and long term changes in previously identified determinants of prescribing BZDs. The e-module resulted in a positive impact on GPs’ readiness to adhere to BZD prescribing guidance and the way they experience psychosocial consultations. Tailoring an e-intervention to target group characteristics appears to be successful in promoting behavioral change in experienced GPs.
Highlights
Benzodiazepines (BZDs) are commonly used psychotropic drugs for treating conditions such as insomnia and anxiety in primary care, their long-term use is associated with considerable adverse effects [1,2,3]
This study evaluates the impact of a tailored emodule on the readiness of experienced General Practitioners (GPs) to adhere to BZD prescribing guidance: advocating the use of non-pharmacological treatments first-line, and using BZDs only short-term and if needed
We focus on the long term impact of the module, but the short term results are listed in the table as well
Summary
Benzodiazepines (BZDs) are commonly used psychotropic drugs for treating conditions such as insomnia and anxiety in primary care, their long-term use is associated with considerable adverse effects [1,2,3]. Despite guidance advocating use of non-pharmacological, psychological treatments first-line (1), and restricting BZDs to only short-term use if needed (2), numerous studies have shown that BZDs are still overprescribed and commonly used long-term [4,5,6]. General Practitioners (GPs) regard BZD prescribing as one of the most complex, demanding and uncomfortable tasks in their clinical work [7] but they continue to prescribe these drugs frequently and many
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