Exploring virtual delivery of academic detailing to general practitioners compared with in-person delivery: a qualitative study

Background: Inappropriate prescribing may have detrimental consequences for the patient and increase healthcare utilisation and costs. Academic detailing (AD) is an interactive outreach method to deliver non-commercial evidence-based medical information to healthcare professionals, aiming to improve patient care. Performing AD virtually has recently become more relevant, especially with the COVID-19 pandemic. Objectives: The aim of this study was to explore general practitioners’ (GP’s) experiences and perceptions of virtually delivered AD. Methods: We invited practicing GPs that had received virtual AD in Norway during autumn 2020. Semistructured individual interviews were audio and video recorded during February–May 2021. Interviews were transcribed and analysed applying thematic analysis according to Braun and Clarke. Results: From interviews with nine GPs, we identified five themes concerning (1) informants’ satisfaction with virtual AD and their opinions about the detailers and their characteristics, (2) factors that are important for participation in AD, with the campaign topic being the most important, (3) a paradox between the informants’ desire for more time for discussion and the time constraint they are facing, (4) the many benefits of virtual AD compared with in-person AD and (5) the informants’ perceived learning outcomes are unaffected by mode of AD delivery. Conclusion: Virtual AD worked very well in terms of scheduling the visit, using technology to facilitate the visit and achieving the same learning outcomes. Virtual AD should be offered to GPs as an alternative to the traditional in-person AD, especially in remote geographical areas or in circumstances when physical outreach is challenging.