A randomized trial of three marketing strategies to disseminate a screening and brief alcohol intervention programme to general practitioners

Background. Research findings are of little benefit to patients or society if they do not reach the audience they are intended to influence. A dissemi nation strategy is needed to target new findings at ifs user group and enco urage a process of consideration and adoption or rejection. Aim, To evaluate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of different mark eting strategies for the dissemination of a screening and brief alcohol int ervention (SBI) programme to general practitioners (GPs). Method. Seven hundred and twenty-nine GPs, one per practice, from the forme r Northern and Yorkshire Regional Health Authority were randomly assigned t o one of three marketing strategies: postal marketing (mailing a promotiona l brochure to GPs), telemarketing (following a script to market the program me over the telephone), and personal marketing (following the same script d uring face-to-face marketing at GPs' practices). GPs who took up the progra mme were asked if they would agree to use it. Outcome measures included the proportions of GPs who rook up the programme and agreement to use it. Results, Of the 614 GPs eligible for the study, 321 (52%) took the programm e. There was a significant difference in the proportions of GPs from the th ree marketing strategies who took the programme (82% telemarketing, 68% per sonal marketing, and 22% postal marketing). Of the 315 GPs who took the pro gramme and were eligible to use it, 128 (41%) agreed to use the programme f or three months. GPs in the postal marketing group were more likely to agre e to use the programme (55% postal marketing, 44% personal marketing, and 3 4% telemarketing). Personal marketing was the most effective overall dissem ination strategy; however, economic analysis revealed that telemarketing wa s the most cost-effective strategy. Costs for dissemination per GP were: po und 13 telemarketing, pound 15 postal marketing, and pound 88 personal mark eting. Conclusion. Telemarketing appeared to be the most cost-effective strategy f or dissemination of SBI to GPs.