Influences on Androgen Deprivation Therapy prescribing before surgery in high-risk prostate cancer

Objectives
To understand how best to further reduce the inappropriate use of pre-surgical Androgen
Deprivation Therapy (ADT), we investigated the determinants (influences) of ADT prescribing in urologists in two European countries using an established behavioural science approach. Additionally, we sought to understand how resource limitations caused by COVID-19, influenced this practice. Identification of key determinants, of undistributed and disrupted practice, will aid development of future strategies to reduce inappropriate ADT prescribing in current and future resource-limited settings.
Participants and Methods
We conducted semi-structured qualitative interviews with urologists practicing in Italy
and the UK from February to July 2022. Interviews focussed on undisrupted (usual)
practice and disrupted practice (changes made during COVID-19 restrictions). Codes were
generated inductively and were mapped to the 14 domains of the Theoretical Domains
Framework. Relevant domains of influence were identified, and the similarities and
differences between the UK and Italy were distinguished.
Results
We identified 10 domains that were influential to ADT prescribing in the UK and eight in
Italy. The role of guidance and evidence, the cancer care setting, the patients and the
urologist’s beliefs and experiences were identified as areas that were influential to ADT prescribing before surgery. Twenty-one similarities and twenty-two differences between
the UK and Italy, for usual and COVID-19 practice, were identified across 10 domains.
Conclusion
Similarities and differences influencing ADT prescribing prior to surgery should be considered in behavioural strategy development and tailoring to reduce inappropriate ADT use. We gained an understanding of usual, undistributed care and resource-limited or disrupted care due to COVID-19 in two European countries. This gives an indication of how influences on ADT prescribing may change in future resource-limited circumstances and where efforts can be focused now and in future.