Problem-based, peer-facilitated education about antibiotic prescribing.

Aims: To assess the feasibility and acceptability of a problem-based, peer-facilitated educational workshop about antibiotic prescribingfor GPs.

Participants: All 39 GPs working in an average sized Local Health Care Co-operative (LHCC) in Glasgow.

Intervention: Prospective collection of information about 10 prescriptions for antibiotics to assess learning needs in relation to antibiotic prescribing. Two and a half hour workshop involving problem-based group work based on the needs assessment and discussions with a consultant microbiologist, prescribing adviser and academic GP.

Evaluation: Written feedback about the process of the educational intervention immediately after the workshop and outcome feedback collected after four weeks. Telephone interviews with non-participants.

Results: Twenty-four GPs agreed to participate in the study. 19 of these completed the Needs Assessment and 14 of these completed the workshop. The method of learning needs assessment and the educational workshop were highly acceptable. "No time, too busy" was the main reason given for not taking part in the study.

Conclusion: Some GPs are unable to participate as fully as they would like in continuing professional learning activities due to competing workload pressures. Further research is required to investigate the necessary type and balance of learning activities and the barriers to engagement to ensure the most effective use of clinician time available for continuing educational activities.