Academic Detailing to Improve Opioid Safety: Implementation Lessons from a Qualitative Evaluation

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Implementation Science
• Public Health

Background:

• Academic detailing (AD) is a vital intervention for addressing opioid-related morbidity and mortality.
• While effective in improving prescribing practices, optimal implementation strategies for AD remain unclear.
• This study examines a model AD program within the Veterans Health Administration (VA) to identify implementation lessons.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify key lessons for implementing academic detailing (AD) programs.
• To inform the effective integration of AD into healthcare systems for addressing the opioid epidemic.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative process evaluation using semistructured interviews.
• Conducted with 10 academic detailers and 20 VA providers across seven VA health care systems.
• Analysis employed a mixed inductive and deductive approach guided by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research.

Main Results:

• One-on-one, customized sessions are most effective.
• Leadership support is crucial for provider participation.
• Performance tracking, motivational interviewing training for detailers, and networking are important for success.
• Detailers play a key role in motivating provider behavior change.

Conclusions:

• Incorporating these lessons is critical for successful AD implementation.
• Facilitating the uptake of evidence-based interventions is essential for addressing the opioid epidemic.