National guideline program to reduce unnecessary antibiotics for colds and flu-like illnesses in Swiss primary care

Is this trial a fit for you?

A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.

What this trial studies

The ImpProGUIDE program implements new Swiss acute respiratory infection guidelines through a multifaceted approach of physician training, quality circles, and support for point-of-care C-reactive protein (CRP) testing and shared decision-making. It uses a hybrid effectiveness–implementation design delivered in quality circles and walk-in clinics across several French- and Italian-speaking cantons to track both prescribing changes and guideline uptake. Participating clinics and physicians will receive training sessions and materials while the study collects prescribing data and provider surveys to monitor outcomes and implementation processes. The focus is outpatient adult primary care, where most community antibiotics are prescribed, with the aim of reducing prescriptions for likely viral infections.

Why it matters

Who can join: the full rules

Inclusion criteria for quality circles (QCs)

* Willing to participate in a study mainly conducted in French
* Agreeing to participate in evaluation surveys

Exclusion criteria for QCs\*

\- Not having any physician included in the study

Inclusion criteria for walk-in clinics

* The clinic offers general practice/primary care medicine consultations, including emergencies
* The clinic includes at least five physicians
* The clinic has an "Admission to practice charged to Swiss compulsory health insurance"
* The clinic plans to still be active in April 2026
* Located in one of the following cantons: Vaud, Geneva, Valais, Fribourg, Jura, Neuchatel, Bern, Ticino.
* Serving mainly adult patients
* Willing to participate in the study

Physicians in QCs fulfilling all of the following inclusion criteria are eligible for the study:

* Registered primary care physicians
* Specialist title in general internal medicine or practicing physician.
* Practicing in one of the following cantons: Vaud, Geneva, Valais, Fribourg, Jura, Neuchatel, Bern, Ticino.
* Participating in a QC or working in an outpatient clinic participating in the study\*.
* Willing to participate in a study mainly conducted in French.
* Agreeing to participate in evaluation surveys and agreeing to be invited to interviews

Eligibility criteria for physicians in clinics :

\- Having a clinical activity as primary care physician or supervising clinical activity of physicians in post-graduate training within a clinic included in the study

The only exclusion criterion for physicians is planning to retire before April 2026.

\*Note: not all physicians from a QC or a clinic are expected or required to participate individually in the study, but at least one should participate.

Where it's running

• Unisanté
  Lausanne, Canton of Vaud, Switzerland Recruiting

Study contacts

• Principal investigator: Yolanda Mueller, MD, PhD — Unisanté, Centre for Primary care and Public Health & University of Lausanne, Switzerland
• Study coordinator: Jelena Dunaiceva, MPH
• Email: jelena.dunaiceva@unisante.ch; imppro@unisante.ch
• Phone: +41 78 654 23 74

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How to take part

1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
2. Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
3. Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.