Facilitators and barriers to adopting a multifaceted chlamydia management intervention in general practice: qualitative findings from Management of Chlamydia Cases in Australia (MoCCA)

Stephanie C. Munari; Jacqueline Coombe; Helen Bittleston; Meredith Temple-Smith; Christopher K. Fairley; Deborah Bateson; Margaret Hellard; Jane L. Goller; Jane S. Hocking

doi:10.1071/PY24179

RESEARCH ARTICLE (Open Access)

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Facilitators and barriers to adopting a multifaceted chlamydia management intervention in general practice: qualitative findings from Management of Chlamydia Cases in Australia (MoCCA)

Stephanie C. Munari

^A ^B ^* , Jacqueline Coombe ^A , Helen Bittleston

^A , Meredith Temple-Smith ^C , Christopher K. Fairley ^D ^E , Deborah Bateson ^F , Margaret Hellard ^B ^G ^H ^I , Jane L. Goller ^A ^# ^* , Jane S. Hocking ^A ^# on behalf of the MoCCA Investigators

+ Author Affiliations

- Author Affiliations

^A Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Melbourne, Vic., Australia.

^B Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Vic., Australia.

^C Department of General Practice and Primary Care, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Melbourne, Vic., Australia.

^D Melbourne Sexual Health Centre, Alfred Health, Melbourne, Vic., Australia.

^E Central Clinical School of Translational Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Vic., Australia.

^F The Daffodil Centre, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.

^G Department of Infectious Diseases, Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Vic., Australia.

^H Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Vic., Australia.

^I Doherty Institute and School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Vic., Australia.

^* Correspondence to: s.munari@unimelb.edu.au, jane.goller@unimelb.edu.au

^# Joint senior author

Australian Journal of Primary Health 31, PY24179 https://doi.org/10.1071/PY24179

Submitted: 23 October 2024 Accepted: 18 December 2024 Published: 16 January 2025

© 2025 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing on behalf of La Trobe University. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND)

Abstract

Background

Chlamydia is one of the most common sexually transmissible infections globally and can lead to reproductive complications, including pelvic inflammatory disease and infertility. Interventions to reduce disease burden, including retesting for reinfection, partner management, and early detection of complications, are the focus of the Management of Chlamydia Cases in Australia (MoCCA) study, an implementation and feasibility trial aiming to strengthen chlamydia management in Australian general practice. This study aimed to identify factors influencing participation in and adoption of a multifaceted chlamydia management intervention within the general practice setting.

Methods

We conducted semi-structured interviews with general practice staff (n = 13) from clinics (n = 9) participating in the MoCCA study. Data were analysed using inductive content analysis to identify facilitators and barriers to study participation and intervention adoption.

Results

Participants felt that practice champions, motivated staff and interventions that improved workflow efficiency, integrated with existing processes and improved patient interactions, facilitated participation in, and adoption of, study interventions. A perceived lack of staff engagement related to time constraints, competing priorities, staff retention issues and interventions that were less convenient to use or had reduced patient uptake were identified as barriers to participation.

Conclusions

Identifying perceived facilitators and barriers to successful implementation of a multifaceted chlamydia intervention enables public health practitioners to better support general practice in the ongoing uptake and use of evidence-based chlamydia management strategies, ultimately aiming to reduce the burden of chlamydia and its complications in Australia.

Keywords: Australia, chlamydia, general practice, implementation, Management of Chlamydia Cases in Australia, public health, sexual health, sexually transmitted infections.

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