The use of postal audit and feedback among Irish General Practitioners for the self – management of antimicrobial prescribing: a qualitative study

OBJECTIVE: Inappropriate use of antibiotics has been acknowledged as a significant contributor to the proliferation of antimicrobial resistance worldwide. Physician prescribing of antibiotics has been identified as a factor in the inappropriate use of antibiotics. One methodology that is used in an attempt to alter physician prescribing behaviours is audit and feedback. This study aimed to explore the perceptions of Irish General Practitioners (GPs) towards the national introduction of postal feedback on their antibiotic prescribing behaviours beginning in 2019. DESIGN: A qualitative descriptive methodology was used. Semi–structured interviews were conducted with GPs in receipt of postal audit and feedback. METHOD: GPs working in Ireland and in receipt of postal audit and feedback on their antibiotic prescribing behaviours participated in phone-based interviews. The interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. The collected data was then analysed using an inductive thematic analysis. RESULTS: Twelve GPs participated in the study (female = 5). Three themes were identified from the analysis. The themes identified were the reliability and validity of the feedback received, feedback on antibiotic prescribing is useful but limited and feedback needs to be easily digestible. CONCLUSION: While the postal audit and feedback were broadly welcomed by the participants, the themes identified a perceived limitation in the quality of the feedback data, the perception of a likely low public health impact of the feedback and difficulties with efficiently processing the audit and feedback information. These findings can help refine future audit and feedback interventions on antibiotic prescribing. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12875-022-01695-x.