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Table 4 Explanation of the concepts used to build the classification scheme

From: Implementing evidence-based medicine in general practice: a focus group based study

Micro-level: problems and interventions related to the individual practice of GPs, with a direct impact on the personal acting of the GP in the consultation setting.

Meso-level: problems and interventions related to organisations and institutes, for example scientific institutes, consumer organisations, enterprises, universities, small-scale formal and informal communication circuits etc.

Macro-level: problems and interventions with an impact on the broader social environment or related to a policy level, for example government, the media etc.

Actors: all acting persons or entities in the field of health care that influence the ability of GPs to think and act according to the principles of EBM. The main characteristic of an actor is 'interaction' with the GP. Interaction can be described as a process that occurs when two or more actors interchange and have an effect upon each other.

Factors: all elements that influence the ability of general practitioners to think and act according to the principles of EBM and to which interchange and interaction cannot be attributed as a characteristic.