title: Implementing evidence in practice: do action lists work?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Much continuing medical education is known to have a limited impact on subsequent clinical behaviour. An option to improve this is to ask participants to develop specific actions about their clinical behaviour changes.
  
  
  METHODS
  We aimed to investigate the content  and outcomes of GPs' action lists produced on a one-day continuing professional development (CPD) course. Actions were recorded during a one-day course, and followed up six months later.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 1696 delegates attending the nine courses, 306 (18%) provided their action plan and  139 of these responded to the questionnaire at six months (response rate 45%). The 306 delegates recorded a total of 1443 actions (4.7 per delegate). Of these, 359 were subsequently explored by follow-up questionnaire at six months of which 147 (41%; 95% CI 36%-46%) were 'successful',  an average of completed actions of 1.9 per GP. Four significant facilitators and four significant barriers to success were identified.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Delegates attending the one-day CPD course recorded an average of 4.7 intended practice changes, and completed 41%. Further research is  needed on how to increase the number of planned and completed actions.
authors.affiliation: University of Buckingham, Buckingham, UK.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Haley
authors.forename: Aimee
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lettis
authors.forename: Philippa M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Rose
authors.forename: Lucy S C
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Jenkins
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Glasziou
authors.forename: Peter W
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Rose
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D004502:Education, Medical, Continuing / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D058006:General Practice / Q000193:education* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires