This website has been created as part of the 'STEP-UP IMPLEMENT' research study.
STEP-UP is a programme of research, with the full title 'Improving the uptake and SusTainability of Effective interventions to promote Prudent antibiotic Use in Primary care’ (STEP-UP). It is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and is a collaboration between the University of Oxford, Imperial College London, University of Southampton and Public Health England. It involves a multi-disciplinary team including GPs, health psychologists, sociologists, economists, statisticians and clinical epidemiologists, led by Professors Sarah Walker, Alison Holmes and Chris Butler. Our team includes a number of GPs currently working in UK general practice.
You can find out more on the STEP-UP study website.
The STEP-UP IMPLEMENT study is part of the wider STEP-UP research programme. It aims to improve the implementation of effective strategies to optimise antibiotic use in high-prescribing general practices. These strategies are: 1) enhanced communication skills training, 2) point-of-care C-reactive protein (CRP) testing and 3) use of back-up/delayed antibiotic prescriptions. These strategies have been shown effective in reducing antibiotic prescriptions by clinicians and antibiotic use by patients in research trials but are often under-used in general practices. This website provides resources to help practices implement these three strategies.
STEP-UP is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC). Point-of-care CRP tests used in this study are provided at a reduced cost by Abbott and SureScreen but the manufacturers have no input into the study design, evaluation or interpretation of results.
If you have any questions, you can contact the STEP-UP IMPLEMENT team at antibioticoptimisation@phc.ox.ac.uk.
Content on this website was last updated on 31st October 2019.
