Table 3 Guiding principles for the implementation intervention

To support practice-wide implementation and use of the AMS strategies

• Promote use of the three evidence-based AMS strategies in general practices

• Intervention features aimed at all practice professionals to support both individual and practice-level change

• Support practices to develop and agree practice-wide, consistent approaches to using the AMS strategies

• Nominate practice champions to provide peer encouragement and support

To support autonomy and enable tailoring in how the AMS strategies are used

• Offer a choice of leaflets and POC-CRPT equipment

• Non-prescriptive on how practices should implement strategies

• Non-prescriptive on how clinicians should use strategies (including clinical situations)

To persuade users that information and AMS strategies are evidence-based and trustworthy

• Clear references to evidence and guidelines

• Endorsed by the President of the Royal College of General Practitioners

• Videos and testimonials of practising clinicians explaining how they use the strategies

• Description of intervention as developed by a multidisciplinary university-based team (including practising clinicians), with non-commercial research funding

To be brief and concise

• Website to take less than an hour to read

• Text as concise as possible

• Use of expandable boxes on the website with additional details

• Handouts for clinicians with key messages maximum of one A4 page

To be easy to use and navigate

• Similar structure of webpages for each strategy

• Access to all sections of the website from the navigation bar (no need to go through the website sequentially, but sequential use possible)