Enhancing early uptake of drug evidence into primary care.

Closing the gap between evidence and healthcare practice is critical for improving health outcomes for consumers. This is particularly critical for medicines, which are the most commonly used healthcare intervention. This paper describes relevant communication, persuasion, behavior change theories, diffusion of innovation and health promotion models, and considers how they apply to enhance the uptake of evidence in primary care. The implementation of new evidence into practice requires a change in behavior. This is complex and requires multistrategic interventions. The understanding and application of the communication and behavioral theories examined in this paper can assist in maximizing the impact of interventions to enhance uptake of evidence concerning medicines.