Qualitative evaluation: Impact of Australian general practice alcohol and other drugs education

Background Many general practitioners (GPs) are challenged to deliver safe and effective care for patients who use Alcohol and Other Drugs (AOD). The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) developed the AOD GP Education Programme to support Australian GPs and optimise AOD care in the community. How the Programme impacted GP participants is not yet fully understood.

Aim To explore the views and experiences of GP participants who completed the AOD GP Education Program, and AOD experts who were involved in the Program as a presenter or mentor.

Design & setting Situated in the constructivist paradigm, this qualitive descriptive study engaged GPs across Australia.

Method This study employed semi-structured, online, focus groups interviews. Data were analysed thematically.

Results Five focus groups were held with a total of 35 GP participants. Five themes developed, illustrating that study participants viewed the Programme design as comprehensive and flexible, addressing their individual learning needs. Impacts of the Programme on clinical practice included confidence to care for patients who use AOD, confidence to collaborate with colleagues in delivery of AOD care, confidence to develop AOD professional networks in their community setting and confidence to manage complex AOD presentations.

Conclusion Programme participants described the AOD Programme as a high-quality and positive educational experience. The prioritisation of core treatment skills (whole person care and structured approaches to behavioural change) was a feature of the professional development programme. The AOD Programme design is a practical model to implement for future AOD GP education and continuing professional development.