eHealthResp: educational intervention to improve antibiotic use in primary care - a protocol for a pilot study

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Antibiotic resistances are among themost threatening public health issues worldwide, being highly associated with inadequate antibiotic use. To tackle this challenge, it is crucial to educate health professionals to appropriately prescribe and dispense antibiotics. Thus, out team developed eHealthResp, an educational intervention composed by two online courses and a clinical decision support system in the form of a mobile app directed to primary care physicians and community pharmacists, aiming to improve antibiotic prescribing and dispensing in respiratory tract infections. Objectives: The main goal of this pilot study is to validate the eHealthResp online courses and the clinical decision support system (mobile app), involving a small group of health professionals. Methods: Aproximately 15 physicians and 15 pharmacists will be recruited to participate in the study. Participants will have complete autonomy to explore and evaluate the eHealthResp mobile app and online courses, composed by six modules on respiratory tract infections for physicians (i) acute otitis media, ii) acute rhinosinusitis, iii) acute pharyngotonsilitis, iv) acute tracheobronchitis, v) community-acquired pneumonia, and vi) COVID-19), and three modules for pharmacists (i) common cold and flu, ii) acute rhinosinusitis, acute pharyngotonsilitis, and acute tracheobronchitis, and iii) acting protocol). Each online course is also composed by four clinical cases and the most recommended pharmacological therapy. Additionally, for the the global validation of the online course and the mobile app, participants will be invited to complete a questionnaire including three sections of questions. The first part, consisting of five brief questions, will allow the collection of sociodemographic data. The second part contains four groups of closed questions, and the third part consists of four open-answer questions, both aiming to evaluate the online course and mobile app elements. Results: After the assessment made by the physicians and pharmacists who agreed to participate in the pilot study, the data obtained will be duly analyzed and integrated by the research team. The appropriate changes will be incorporated into the e-Health platforms to improve the quality of both the online courses and the eHealthResp mobile app. Conclusions: The findings of this pilot study will provide important information for the next stage of the project, ensuring the feasibility of the educational interventions in a group of primary care physicians and community pharmacists from the Centre region of Portugal, using a randomized controlled trial designed by clusters.