Improving adrenaline autoinjector adherence: A psychologically informed training for healthcare professionals

Background: Clinicians draw on instructional approaches when training patients with anaphylaxis to use adrenaline auto-injectors, but patient use is poor. Psychological barriers to these behaviours exist but are not considered routinely when training patients to use auto-injectors. Health Psychology principles suggest exploring these factors with patients could improve their auto-injector use.\ud Objective: To evaluate the impact of a 90 - minute workshop training clinicians in strategies and techniques for exploring and responding to psychological barriers to auto-injector use with patients. Attendees’ knowledge, confidence and likelihood of using the strategies were expected to improve.\ud Methods: Impact was evaluated using a longitudinal mixed-method design. Twenty-nine clinicians (general and specialist nurses, general practitioners, pharmacists) supporting patients with anaphylaxis in UK hospitals and general practice attended. Self-rated knowledge, confidence and likelihood of using the strategies taught were evaluated online one week before, 1–3 and 6–8 weeks after the workshop. Clinicians were invited for telephone interview after attending to explore qualitatively the workshop impact. \ud Results: Chi-square analyses were significant in most cases (p