Deploy effective behavioural change techniques

Right Decision Service implementation guide

The Cochrane Effective Practice & Organisation of Care (EPOC) review group has evaluated a range of interventions for their effectiveness at influencing professional behaviours. The authors have collated the following summary table 7 from reviews by the EPOC group.

Table 7: Cochrane reviews of the effectiveness of behavioural change strategies

Strategy	No. of studies	Effectiveness	Reference
Audit and feedback	140 – 49 at low risk of bias	For low bias studies, 4% absolute improvement in practice. Feedback was more effective when baseline performance was low, the source is supervisor or colleague, provided more than once in both verbal and written formats & includes explicit targets and an action plan	Ivers N et al, 2012. Cochrane Library.
Continuing education meetings	215 studies	7% more likely to comply, with a 44% relative improvement in practice	Forsetlund L, et al, 2021. Cochrane library
Educational outreach visits	69 studies	6% (IQR 3% - 9%) more likely to comply with a 21% relative improvement	O’Brien M et al, 2007. Cochrane Library
Use of opinion leaders	24	9% absolute increase in adherence to evidence-based practice over median 12 month period	Flodgren G ert al, 2019. Cochrane library
Patient education & information leaflets	25	Patient education led to an 11% absolute (31% relative) increase in adherence of health care providers with intended behaviour	Fønhus MS, et al 2018. Cochrane Library
Interventions to promote adoption of ICTs	10 studies	4 out of 10 studies showed small to moderate effects	Gagnon M-P et al. 2009. Cochrane Library
On-screen point of care reminders	28 studies	4% (IQR 4%-19%) absolute improvement in practice	Shojania KG, et al 2009. Cochrane Library