Designing Effective CME—Potential Barriers to Practice Change in the Management of Depression: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

Aim: The main aim of the current study is to\rexplore GPs’ micro level obstacles of behavior change which affects diagnosis\rand management of Depressive Disorders following attendance at a Depression CME\revent. Methods: In this\rqualitative study, semi-structured interviews exploring GPs’ perceptions and\rexperiences regarding the diagnosis and treatment of depression were done. A\rpurposeful sampling to obtain a broad range of views was carried out among GPs\rthat had participated in an educational intervention study three years earlier.\rEleven GPs were interviewed and their views were probed in depth to get rich\rdescriptions to ensure trustworthiness of the data. The data were analyzed by\rusing qualitative content analysis. Results: GPs’ beliefs regarding\rmicro level barriers emerged as two important themes individual and workplace factors. The individual themes included:\reducational and professional, and the contextual themes included: psychological\rdisorders and work place categories. The results showed different perceptions\ron the barriers between the two groups of GPs, those who did change and had a\rpositive perception of the CME program they participated in three years ago,\rand some who did not change. Conclusion: The results of this study imply\rthat a number of micro level obstacles were of great importance when managing\rpatients with depression disorders. In order to improve the effectiveness of\rCME events they should be tailored for the individual and address workplace\rissues i.e. both individual and contextual factors need attention.