Our study was on "Knowledge-based update visits", or KUPP, with GPs on the topic of opioid prescription.
KUPP is a teaching method that has been developed based on the internationally recognized method known as academic detailing.
Briefly, KUPP involves specially trained doctors and pharmacists (so-called clinical facilitators) visiting GPs one-on-one in the doctor's office during working hours, and engaging in a 20-minute dialogue about the most important points within a given therapy area.
In the article we present findings from our investigation into the usefulness of KUPP visits on GPs' opioid prescribing patterns for patients with long-term pain in Norway, and of the facilitators' experiences in carrying out these KUPP visits.
We used register data from the Norwegian Prescription Register and focus group interviews with facilitators who had carried out KUPP visits. Compared to municipalities where doctors had not received KUPP visits regarding opioid prescriptions, we found a reduction in the number of opioid users in the municipalities where such visits had been carried out.
According to the facilitators, the GPs' work experience and previous familiarity with the topic gave different prerequisites for using the information presented in the KUPP visits.
We suggest that future KUPP campaigns on opioid prescribing should consider how to convey the same message to other target groups, such as hospital doctors, as well as to patients.
For more information, contact:
- Ketil Arne Espnes (tel. +47 917 99 228), Torunn Hatlen Nøst (+47 73 41 25 34.)
- POINT prosjektleder: Svetlana Skurtveit (+47 41103614)
Read the entire article in BMC Primary Care