Media, Specialty Physicians Among Factors Influencing Uptake of Preventive Services Guidelines

Multiple complex factors influence guideline uptake, including the media and the influence of specialty physicians, both of which play a greater role in the uptake of new or updated preventive care guidelines than insurance coverage or other external factors, according to an AHRQ-funded study. In addition, even though primary care clinicians said they are motivated to follow evidence-based guidelines, they expressed concern about negative patient outcomes if guidelines that recommend a reduction in services were followed. Researchers conducted interviews with 15 primary care clinicians and nine practice leaders in five states to better understand the collective impact of factors that influence uptake of preventive guidelines from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. Clinicians identified patients’ relationships with them and trust in them as the main factor influencing guideline adoption, and they expressed a large preference for shared decision-making over insisting that new recommendations be followed. Access the abstract of the study published in the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine.