Protocol for the Development of an Intervention to Improve the Use of Point-of-caRE DiagnostICs in the Management of Respiratory Tract Infections in Primary Care (the PREDICTORS Study)

Background Antimicrobial resistance is a significant global health challenge, exacerbated by inappropriate antibiotic prescribing, particularly in primary care where up to 50% of antibiotic prescriptions prescribed by general practitioners (GPs) and dispensed by community pharmacists (CPs) are deemed inappropriate. Respiratory tract infections (RTIs) are among the most common conditions leading to GP consultations and subsequent antibiotic prescribing, much of which is inappropriate as most RTIs are viral in nature or self-limiting bacterial infections. Point-of-care tests (POCTs) have emerged as tools to improve the diagnosis and appropriate treatment of RTIs. Objective This study aims to develop and test an intervention to improve the use of POCTs in managing RTIs involving GPs and CPs in Irish primary care, following the UK’s Medical Research Council’s (MRC) framework for complex intervention development, involving five work-packages (WPs). Methods WP1 involves creating best practice guidance for using POCT in managing RTIs, informed by a scoping review and validated with an expert Delphi panel. This guidance will be used to define target behaviour(s) for GPs and CPs related to POCT use. WP2 explores GP and CP perceived barriers and facilitators to these behaviours using the Theoretical Domains Framework, mapping influential domains to Behaviour Change Techniques to develop draft interventions. WP3 gathers patients’ perspectives on using POCTs for RTIs. In WP4, a task group will review and finalise the intervention(s). They will consider patients’ perspectives from WP3 and assess feasibility of the intervention(s). WP5 involves a proof-of-concept study to test the feasibility of the newly developed intervention(s). Conclusion A theoretically informed intervention(s) for using POCT(s) in the management of RTIs in primary care in Ireland will be developed and tested in a proof-of-concept study, following MRC guidance. Further refinement and larger studies will be needed to determine its effectiveness before widespread implementation.