Sexual health professionals' evaluations of a prototype computer-based contraceptive planning intervention for adolescents: implications for practice

Background This paper aims to demonstrate how an online planning intervention to enhance contraceptive and condom use among adolescents was viewed by sexual health professionals. It identifies feedback that has facilitated improvement of the intervention both in terms of potential effectiveness and sustainability in practice. The data illustrate how professionals– feedback can enhance intervention development. Method Ten practitioners (two males) representing a range of roles in sexual health education and healthcare were given electronic copies of the prototype intervention. Interviews were conducted to elicit feedback. Transcripts of the interviews were subjected to thematic analysis. Results Practitioners provided positive feedback about the intervention content, use of on-line media, the validity of planning techniques, and the inclusivity of males in contraceptive planning. Issues with rapport-building, trust, privacy, motivation, and time and resources were raised however, and the promotion of condom carrying was contentious. Conclusions Professionals– feedback provided scope for developing the intervention to meet practitioners' concerns, thus enhancing likely feasibility and acceptability in practice. Ways in which particular feedback was generalisable to wider theory-based and on-line intervention development are explicated. Some responses indicated that health practitioners would benefit from training to embed theory-based interventions into sexual health education and healthcare.