Behaviour change interventions addressing antibiotic treatment seeking behaviour for respiratory tract infections in primary care settings: A scoping review protocol.

Abstract

Objective: This scoping review aims to synthesise the extent and type of evidence on behaviour change interventions which address antibiotic treatment seeking behaviour for respiratory tract infections in primary care and/or community care settings.

Introduction: Antimicrobial Resistance is recognised as a global health and economic threat by the World Health Organization and World Bank. Multiple factors, including patient and public demand, may contribute to unnecessary prescribing practices, which can lead to an overuse of antibiotics, and affect AMR. Current policy initiatives acknowledge the need to prepare for the future by managing public expectations regarding antibiotics, especially for influenza-like illness and other respiratory tract infections. These initiatives emphasise the importance of designing and evaluating effective interventions that generate actionable knowledge for policy and practices related to the appropriate use of antibiotics. Behaviour change interventions, in this context, can aim to modify patients' attitudes, beliefs, and behaviours regarding antibiotics.

Inclusion criteria: Identified studies will describe behaviour change interventions aimed at potential patients and/or carers within the primary care and/or community care setting that address antibiotic treatment seeking behaviour for respiratory tract infections.

Methods: This scoping review will search the literature in Medline, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Web of Science Core Collection, Scopus, EThOS, and Google Scholar to explore behaviour change interventions used to reduce expectations of antibiotics for respiratory tract infections in primary care. This review will follow the Joanna Briggs Institute guidelines for scoping reviews. It will be reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews.