Testing Interventions Designed to Improve How Members of the General Public Follow Instructions to Take Antibiotics
NCT ID: NCT07111754
Last Updated: 2025-08-08
Study Results
The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.
Basic Information
Get a concise snapshot of the trial, including recruitment status, study phase, enrollment targets, and key timeline milestones.
NOT_YET_RECRUITING
NA
7000 participants
INTERVENTIONAL
2025-08-31
2026-03-01
Brief Summary
Review the sponsor-provided synopsis that highlights what the study is about and why it is being conducted.
When patients are prescribed antibiotics, the information provided (and how this is provided) is likely to be influential on whether they are taken correctly, or if behaviours that contribute to antimicrobial resistance (such as not finishing the course) predominate.
This study, a large online experiment involving 7,000 people across the UK, aims explore the influence of what information and how it is provided. The study looks at different ways of presenting information on antibiotic packets-from clear instructions to warnings and even scannable QR codes with extra details.
The main goals are to see if these changes can help participants understand how to take antibiotics exactly as prescribed. The investigators also want to see if it helps participants understand what antibiotic resistance is and their role in preventing it.
By understanding what works best, the investigators hope to find simple, effective ways to help everyone use antibiotics wisely, protecting these vital medicines for the future.
Related Clinical Trials
Explore similar clinical trials based on study characteristics and research focus.
Testing New Ways to Name Antimicrobial Resistance
NCT06356285
Impact of a Communication Toolkit on Antibiotic Prescribed by General Practitioners: a Randomised Trial
NCT04562571
Oral Health Education Interventions Among Seniors
NCT03301714
Impact on Antibiotic Prescriptions of a Bundle Intervention Conducted by Medical Representatives in General Practitioner Facilities, Based on Operational Demonstration of an Internet Decision Support Tool: Antibioclic
NCT04028830
Improving Communication During a Pandemic Flu Outbreak
NCT03431012
Detailed Description
Dive into the extended narrative that explains the scientific background, objectives, and procedures in greater depth.
To fight AMR, it's crucial that the public not only understand that antibiotic resistance is a problem, but also know what steps can be taken to help. A key action is to take antibiotics exactly as prescribed. However, the investigators know that many people aren't entirely sure what "exactly as prescribed" really means. This can involve things like remembering to take the full course, taking it at the right times, and simply taking the medication at all.
To better understand these challenges, the Fleming Initiative conducted focus groups with the UK public in spring 2025. These discussions helped identify the main reasons people might not take antibiotics as directed, such as not understanding what "exactly as prescribed" means, or not knowing about AMR and how individual actions might contribute to it.
Using these insights, the Fleming Initiative then held co-design workshops with public participants. Together, several new ways to make it easier for individuals to take antibiotics correctly were developed.
This study is a seven-armed online behavioral experiment conducted in collaboration between the Fleming Initiative at Imperial College London, and the Behavioural Insights Team. It aims to understand how different presentations of information on antibiotic packaging about desired target behaviors and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) influence the public's correct antibiotic use, attitudes towards AMR, and future behavioral intent.
Primary Objective:
To measure the change in behavioral intent to "take antibiotics exactly as prescribed," using a composite measure of four individual behaviors related to antimicrobial stewardship (AMS).
Secondary Objectives:
To assess comprehension of how to take antibiotics. To assess comprehension of AMR.
Exploratory Objectives:
To evaluate changes in behavioral intent for individual behaviors related to "taking antibiotics exactly as prescribed" (e.g., finishing the course, number per day).
To understand if participants recognise that not taking antibiotics exactly as prescribed contributes to AMR.
To examine the impact of message framing and the mechanism of intervention delivery on behavioral intent to take antibiotics exactly as prescribed.
To assess the impact on perceived personal responsibility regarding AMR.
To determine the proportion of individuals who interacted with a QR code (in relevant arms).
To gauge the impact of interventions on sentiment towards information on the package itself.
To evaluate participants' opinions on whether text message reminders would help participants take antibiotics exactly as prescribed.
Study Design and Participant Recruitment:
The study will recruit 7,000 UK participants, aged 18 and over, through market research panels via the Predictiv online platform, an online survey platform created by the Behavioural Insights Team.
Participants will be randomised 1:1:1:1:1:1:1 into one of seven trial arms: a control arm with a standard antibiotic packet, and six intervention arms. Interventions include QR codes linking to additional information (Arms 2-4) and warning messages on the packaging (Arms 5-7).
Recruitment will use quotas for age, gender, region, and ethnicity to ensure a nationally representative sample.
The participant journey involves accessing the survey, an introduction slide, an attention check, randomisation, baseline measures of AMR understanding, a standardized medical scenario, exposure to their assigned antibiotic packet image (intervention), a series of survey questions, and finally, demographic questions.
Participants will be anonymous, with no personally identifying data transferred to the research team. Participants will receive a small financial incentive (£0.70) managed by the market research panels. The total study duration is anticipated to be around 3 weeks.
Sub-group Analysis:
The primary analysis will be repeated for subgroups based on age, health confidence, and baseline comprehension of AMR to identify differential impacts of the intervention.
Conditions
See the medical conditions and disease areas that this research is targeting or investigating.
Study Design
Understand how the trial is structured, including allocation methods, masking strategies, primary purpose, and other design elements.
RANDOMIZED
PARALLEL
OTHER
SINGLE
Study Groups
Review each arm or cohort in the study, along with the interventions and objectives associated with them.
Control
Control arm, with a picture of a typical antibiotic packet shown to participants
No interventions assigned to this group
Behavioural Message - QR code
Antibiotic packet with a QR code as the mechanism of delivery of the intervention, the intervention only contains information about the desired behaviour
Behavioural Message
Participants are presented with an image of an antibiotic packet, that contains information about the behaviour "take antibiotics exactly as prescribed". This can be delivered to participants via a QR code, or a warning message on the packet.
Behavioural Message - Warning
Antibiotic packet with a warning message on it as the mechanism of delivery of the intervention, the intervention only contains information about the desired behaviour
Behavioural Message
Participants are presented with an image of an antibiotic packet, that contains information about the behaviour "take antibiotics exactly as prescribed". This can be delivered to participants via a QR code, or a warning message on the packet.
Behavioural message + positive framing - QR code
Antibiotic packet with a QR code as the mechanism of delivery of the intervention, the intervention contains information about the desired behaviour and antimicrobial resistance (framed in a positive manner)
Behavioural message + positive framing
Participants are presented with an image of an antibiotic packet, that contains information about the behaviour "take antibiotics exactly as prescribed" and information about AMR, framed in a positive manner. This can be delivered to participants via a QR code, or a warning message on the packet.
Behavioural message + positive framing - Warning
Antibiotic packet with a warning message on it as the mechanism of delivery of the intervention, the intervention contains information about the desired behaviour and antimicrobial resistance (framed in a positive manner)
Behavioural message + positive framing
Participants are presented with an image of an antibiotic packet, that contains information about the behaviour "take antibiotics exactly as prescribed" and information about AMR, framed in a positive manner. This can be delivered to participants via a QR code, or a warning message on the packet.
Behavioural message + negative framing - QR Code
Antibiotic packet with a QR code as the mechanism of delivery of the intervention, the intervention contains information about the desired behaviour and antimicrobial resistance (framed in a negative manner)
Behavioural message + negative framing
Participants are presented with an image of an antibiotic packet, that contains information about the behaviour "take antibiotics exactly as prescribed" and information about AMR, framed in a negative manner. This can be delivered to participants via a QR code, or a warning message on the packet.
Behavioural message + negative framing - Warning
Antibiotic packet with a warning message on it as the mechanism of delivery of the intervention, the intervention contains information about the desired behaviour and antimicrobial resistance (framed in a negative manner)
Behavioural message + negative framing
Participants are presented with an image of an antibiotic packet, that contains information about the behaviour "take antibiotics exactly as prescribed" and information about AMR, framed in a negative manner. This can be delivered to participants via a QR code, or a warning message on the packet.
Interventions
Learn about the drugs, procedures, or behavioral strategies being tested and how they are applied within this trial.
Behavioural Message
Participants are presented with an image of an antibiotic packet, that contains information about the behaviour "take antibiotics exactly as prescribed". This can be delivered to participants via a QR code, or a warning message on the packet.
Behavioural message + positive framing
Participants are presented with an image of an antibiotic packet, that contains information about the behaviour "take antibiotics exactly as prescribed" and information about AMR, framed in a positive manner. This can be delivered to participants via a QR code, or a warning message on the packet.
Behavioural message + negative framing
Participants are presented with an image of an antibiotic packet, that contains information about the behaviour "take antibiotics exactly as prescribed" and information about AMR, framed in a negative manner. This can be delivered to participants via a QR code, or a warning message on the packet.
Eligibility Criteria
Check the participation requirements, including inclusion and exclusion rules, age limits, and whether healthy volunteers are accepted.
Inclusion Criteria
* United Kingdom residents
* Have passed the attention check at the start of the online survey.
Exclusion Criteria
* Those resident outside the UK.
* Those who fail the attention check at the start of the online survey. Individuals aged under 18.
18 Years
ALL
Yes
Sponsors
Meet the organizations funding or collaborating on the study and learn about their roles.
The Behavioural Insights Team
OTHER
Imperial College London
OTHER
Responsible Party
Identify the individual or organization who holds primary responsibility for the study information submitted to regulators.
Principal Investigators
Learn about the lead researchers overseeing the trial and their institutional affiliations.
Kate Grailey
Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
Imperial College London
Central Contacts
Reach out to these primary contacts for questions about participation or study logistics.
Provided Documents
Download supplemental materials such as informed consent forms, study protocols, or participant manuals.
Document Type: Study Protocol and Statistical Analysis Plan
Other Identifiers
Review additional registry numbers or institutional identifiers associated with this trial.
7836387
Identifier Type: -
Identifier Source: org_study_id
More Related Trials
Additional clinical trials that may be relevant based on similarity analysis.