Application of Health Psychology: Development of a Practitioner Training Intervention in Anaphylaxis

Adrenaline auto-injectors (AAIs) improve outcomes and reduce fatalities in patients with anaphylaxis, but many patients neither carry them nor know how to use them. Practitioner training in evidence-based strategies designed to increase patient adherence could improve the likelihood of AAI adherence, as well as increase confidence amongst practitioners to initiate discussions about practical and perceptual barriers to AAI adherence. This paper reports the development of a new practitioner training intervention, grounded in health psychology theory and evidence designed for practitioners in contact with patients with anaphylaxis to encourage adherence to AAIs. Potential implications for the design, implementation and evaluation of future practitioner training in strategies they can use to encourage anaphylaxis patients’ AAI adherence are discussed. Although designed for those working with anaphylaxis patients, this step-by-step process to encouraging adherence could be adapted for practitioners working with patients living with other long-term conditions.