Understanding general practitioners’ views and experiences of using clinical prediction rules in the management of respiratory infections: a qualitative study

Background: Respiratory tract infections (RTIs) account for 60% of antibiotic prescribing in primary care. Several clinical prediction rules (CPRs) have been developed to help reduce unnecessary prescribing for RTIs, but there are a lack of studies exploring whether or how these CPRs are being used in UK general practice.

Aim: To explore UK GPs’ views and experiences with regards to RTI CPRs and to identify barriers and facilitators to their use in practice.

Design & setting: A qualitative analysis of interviews with in-hours GPs working in the South and South West of England.

Method: Semi-structured qualitative telephone interviews were conducted, digitally recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed using an inductive thematic approach. Patient and public involvement representatives contributed to study design and interpretation of findings.

Results: Thirty-two GPs were interviewed. Some CPRs were more commonly used than others. Participants used CPRs to facilitate patient-clinician discussion, confirm and support their decision, and document the consultation. GPs also highlighted concerns including lack of time, inability of CPRs to incorporate patient complexity, a shift in focus from the patient during consultations, and limited use in remote consultation (during the COVID-19 pandemic).

Conclusion: This study highlights the need for user-friendly CPRs that are readily integrated into computer systems, and easily embedded into routine practice to complement clinical decision making. Existing CPRs need to be validated for other populations where demographics and clinical characteristics may differ as well different settings including remote consultations and self-assessment.