The impact of Healthy Conversation Skills training on health professionals' barriers to having behaviour change conversations: a pre-post survey using the Theoretical Domains Framework

Establishing an updated consensus on the conceptual and operational definitions of Making Every Contact Count (MECC) across experts within research and practice: an international Delphi Study

OBJECTIVES

The Making Every Contact Count (MECC) initiative is broadly defined as an opportunistic approach to prevention by making use of the thousands of conversations service providers have with service users every day. However, since its conception, the application of MECC has diverged and developed considerably. Thus, the current study aimed to revise the definition according to current research and practice to better describe what is and is not included.

STUDY DESIGN

A consensus building classic Delphi methodology, completed by an expert panel.

METHODS

Round 1 asked open questions around the definition of MECC. Content analysis of round 1 identified statements that were rated for agreement in round 2. Statements achieving ≥80% agreement were included in a short, long, or operational definition of MECC that were rated for agreement in round 3 (the minimum number required). An agreement of ≥80% indicated consensus.

RESULTS

Forty out of 100 contacted experts completed three rounds. Experts in practice and research were recruited internationally although most were from England. From round 1, 274 statements were generated, of which 96 achieved consensus and were included within round 3. The short and long definition received consensus in round 3, the operational definition required four rounds to reach consensus.

CONCLUSIONS

MECC is a person-centred approach to health behaviour change that, provided an individual possesses the relevant skills, can be delivered by anyone and anywhere. The distinguishing feature of MECC is not in its duration, target behaviour, or conditions for delivery, but rather in the approach taken and the mechanisms applied to conversations. Implications for research and practice are discussed, and the limits for applicability acknowledged.

Healthy rural hearts: The feasibility of a telehealth nutrition randomised controlled trial for rural people at risk of cardiovascular disease

INTRODUCTION

Improving dietary patterns using medical nutrition therapy delivered via telehealth could make an effective contribution to reducing cardiovascular disease burden in rural Australia. However, it is important that medical nutrition therapy programmes are developed in collaboration with rural stakeholders, to increase feasibility for the rural context and the likelihood of successful implementation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the preliminary feasibility outcomes of integration (implementation), practicality, acceptability, demand, and preliminary effectiveness at the 3-month timepoint of the Healthy Rural Hearts randomised control trial.

METHODS

Feasibility measures were collected from participants in the Healthy Rural Hearts medical nutrition therapy trial. Study participants were patients from eligible primary care practices who had been assessed by their general practitioner as being at moderate to high risk of developing cardiovascular disease in the next five years. The sample in this analysis includes those who had completed the first 3-months of the study. Feasibility outcomes were measured over the first 3-months of the trial intervention. A process evaluation survey was used to collect measures relating to intervention implementation, practicality, acceptability, and demand. Completion rates of the Australian Eating Survey Heart version, Personalised Nutrition Questionnaire, pathology tests and telehealth medical nutrition therapy consultations delivered by Accredited Practising Dietitians were also used to measure intervention practicality. Preliminary effectiveness was evaluated by comparing the intervention group's dietary change, measured using Australian Eating Survey Heart with data from the control group.

RESULTS

A total of 105 participants (75 intervention, 30 control participants) were eligible for inclusion in analysis. Attendance rates at the first 3-months of dietitian consultations ranged from 94.7% to 89.3% between the first and 3-month consultations, and most participants were able to complete the Australian Eating Survey Heart and Personalised Nutrition Questionnaire prior to their initial consultation [Australian Eating Survey Heart (n = 57, 76%) and Personalised Nutrition Questionnaire (n = 61, 81.3%)] and the Australian Eating Survey Heart prior to their 3-month consultation (n = 52, 69.3%). Of the participants who completed a pathology test at the 3-month time-point (n = 54, 72%), less than half were able to do so prior to their dietitian consultation (n = 35, 46.7%). Of the 75 intervention participants, 28 (37.3%) completed the process evaluation survey. Intervention participants ranked acceptability of the Healthy Rural Hearts intervention highly (mean rank out of 10 = 9.5, SD 1.9), but provided mixed responses on whether they would access the intervention outside of the study (mean rank out of 10 = 6.0, SD 3.5). There were statistically significant increases in percentage total energy intake derived from nutrient-dense core foods compared to the control group (p ≤ 0.05).

DISCUSSION

The positive findings related to acceptability and implementation outcomes suggest that the Healthy Rural Hearts intervention was acceptable, practical, and able to be implemented within this population living in rural NSW. This, combined with the small to medium effect size in the proportion of total energy derived from nutrient-dense core foods compared to the control group indicates that long-term intervention effectiveness on other cardiovascular disease outcomes is important to evaluate in the future.

Eating habits and the desire to eat healthier among patients with chronic pain: a registry-based study

Healthcare professionals often meet pain patients with a poor nutritional status such as obesity, unhealthy dietary behaviors, and a suboptimal dietary intake. A poor nutritional status may play a significant role in the occurrence, development, and prognosis of chronic pain. This study investigated eating habits in a specialized pain rehabilitation center using data (N = 2152) from the Swedish quality registry for pain rehabilitation during the period 2016-2021. Patients answered a lifestyle questionnaire regarding their eating habits and desire to modify their lifestyle. The mean (SD) patient age was 46.1 (14.6) years, with 24.8% classified as obese. Suboptimal eating habits included irregular mealtimes (27.2%), weekly consumption of fast-food (20.3%) and nearly daily consumption of confectionery (33.3%). Approximately 20% (n = 426) reported a desire to eat healthier. Frequent confectionery intake (Odds ratio [OR] 1.23, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 1.04-1.47) and fast-food consumption (OR 1.58, 95% CI 1.24-2.02) increased the likelihood to desire healthier eating. Younger patients (18-29 years), those classified as obese, and those with more extended spatial pain were more likely to express a desire to eat healthier. Eating habits should be addressed in pain management and interdisciplinary pain rehabilitation teams are encouraged to provide nutritional care tailored to the patient's needs.

Training Australian Dietitians in Behavior Change Techniques Through Educational Workshops: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND

The use of education alone as a technique to change behavior in interventions is usually insufficient, particularly in health interventions. Behavior change techniques have been shown to be effective in fostering positive changes in health behaviors such as diet and physical activity. The upskilling of health professionals can increase perceived capability and motivation toward eliciting change in clients' behaviors. However, to date, dietitians have received limited training in behavior change and have expressed a need for continuous professional development.

OBJECTIVE

The study objectives are to (1) develop and evaluate the effectiveness and acceptability of two 2-hour behavior change workshops on changing dietitians behavior (ie, range of behavior change techniques used and frequency of use) across 3 time points; (2) determine if participation in these workshops will elicit changes in dietitians' perceived capability, opportunity, and motivation toward using behavior change techniques; and (3) determine the acceptability of the training and its application in practice by dietitians.

METHODS

We will recruit registered dietitians (N=140) in Australia to participate in this randomized controlled trial. Participants will be randomly assigned to either the intervention or 3-month waitlist control condition and complete outcome measures at 3 time points: baseline, after the workshop, and follow-up at 3 months. Both groups will complete 2 workshops on behavior change that are guided by the COM-B (Capability, Opportunity, Motivation, and Behavior) Model and embedded with behavior change techniques. The primary outcome is changes in behavior, (ie, the range of behavior change techniques used and their frequency of use). Secondary outcomes include changes in perceived capability, opportunity, motivation, and preparedness as a health professional toward delivering behavior change techniques. The acceptability of the workshops will also be assessed after the workshop through the postworkshop survey and semistructured interviews. A series of 2-way repeated measures ANOVAs and regressions will be used. Qualitative data will be analyzed using thematic analysis.

RESULTS

Participant recruitment commenced in June 2023. The results of the study are expected to be published in November 2024. The results will allow us to assess comparisons between the intervention and waitlist control groups, as well as changes in perceived capability, opportunity, motivation, and preparedness over a 3-month period. It will also provide an understanding of the acceptability of the training as a form of continuous professional development for dietitians.

CONCLUSIONS

If found to be effective, the results of this 2-arm randomized controlled trial will guide future training and continuous professional development for health professionals in changing behavior in practice. Our findings will contribute to our understanding of the application of behavior change techniques in practice with clients and identify components of COM-B where dietitians may need future support.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ACTRN12623000525684; https://www.anzctr.org.au/ACTRN12623000525684.aspx.

INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID)

PRR1-10.2196/49723.

'Making every contact count' with patients with musculoskeletal conditions: a qualitative exploration of acceptability to physiotherapists

AIM

To qualitatively explore physiotherapists' experiences and acceptability of implementing 'Making Every Contact Count Healthy Conversation Skills' (MECC HCS) in routine practice with patients with musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions.

METHODS

This article reports the second phase of a mixed method, sequential explanatory study. Physiotherapists trained in and delivering MECC HCS in their practice were invited to take part in semi-structured interviews. We hoped to develop a rich, in-depth understanding of their use and perceptions of the brief intervention and to contextualise findings from the first phase of the study. Qualitative data were analysed using Reflexive Thematic Analysis.

RESULTS

Physiotherapists valued MECC HCS as being integral to their practice, promoting a person-centred approach to supporting behaviour change and enhancing self-management in patients with MSK conditions and pain. It was believed that this brief intervention could reduce workload pressure for physiotherapists and have significant wider benefits for health services. Time limitations associated with appointments did, however, pose as a challenge to MECC HCS delivery, and it was felt that more organisational-level support was needed to sustain it.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings support our quantitative data, collected in the first phase of this study. MECC HCS is a highly acceptable brief intervention that can be delivered in physiotherapy care to support behaviour change in patients with MSK conditions. Future roll-out may be optimised within organisations by providing regular refresher training and adopting a MECC champion.

Promoting health through nurse-led healthy conversations

Nurses in all settings have an important role in preventing non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, respiratory disease and diabetes mellitus. They have multiple daily opportunities in their practice to discuss health with people, with the aim of supporting behaviour changes that reduce the risk of non-communicable diseases and the associated health-related and economic challenges. Incorporating the principles of healthy conversations into all daily interactions provides opportunities for nurses collectively to promote health on an individual basis to millions of people. However, many nurses have not received training in such behaviour change interventions. This article explains the principles and potential benefits of healthy conversations, and emphasises the importance of training to promote nurses' knowledge, skills, confidence and motivation to engage in such conversations.

Developing a telehealth medical nutrition therapy (MNT) service for adults living in rural Australia at risk of cardiovascular disease: An intervention development study

BACKGROUND

Receiving medical nutrition therapy (MNT) from an accredited practising dietitian (APD) can reduce diet-related cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors. However, people living in rural areas of Australia experience barriers to accessing dietitians because of their remote location. Telehealth has the potential to improve dietetic access in rural areas; however, there is limited research into the development and delivery of telehealth MNT interventions specific to these areas. The present study describes the development of the Healthy Rural Hearts (HealthyRHearts) telehealth MNT intervention, which was developed as a part of the HealthyRHearts randomised control trial, set in primary care practices in rural areas of the Hunter New England and Central Coast Primary Health Network. The aim of HealthyRHearts is to improve diet-related risk factors for CVD in rural adults at moderate to high CVD risk using a telehealth MNT intervention delivered by an APD.

METHODS

The study describes the development of the HealthyRHearts telehealth MNT intervention, using the 14-item GUIDance for rEporting of intervention Development (GUIDED) checklist and the Template for Intervention Description and Replication (TIDieR) framework to guide description.

RESULTS

HealthyRHearts is a complex intervention that aims to translate a telehealth MNT intervention for CVD prevention into rural and remote primary care settings. The intervention is designed to be implemented across multiple sites of varying characteristics and needs, with the ability to accommodate individual complexities within the rural context and target population. Participants are adults aged 45-75 years who are assessed as moderate to high risk of CVD by their general practitioner (GP). Consenting participants are referred to the intervention by their GPs and receive five telehealth MNT consultations with an APD over 6-months. APDs are trained in the intervention protocol including intervention materials, resources and behaviour change counselling strategies.

CONCLUSION

Using the GUIDED and TIDieR frameworks to guide description of the HealthyRHearts intervention development process facilitates detailed description of decision-making pathways for each element of the intervention design. The comprehensive description of the intervention development process for HealthyRHearts is intended to facilitate replication, iteration and optimisation of the intervention for rural contexts.

A single-blind, parallel-group randomised trial of a Technology-assisted and remotely delivered Cognitive Behavioural Therapy intervention (Tech-CBT) versus usual care to reduce anxiety in people with mild cognitive impairment and dementia: study protocol for a randomised trial

BACKGROUND

Anxiety is commonly experienced by people living with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia. Whilst there is strong evidence for late-life anxiety treatment using cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and delivery via telehealth, there is little evidence for the remote delivery of psychological treatment for anxiety in people living with MCI and dementia. This paper reports the protocol for the Tech-CBT study which aims to investigate the efficacy, cost-effectiveness, usability and acceptability of a technology-assisted and remotely delivered CBT intervention to enhance delivery of anxiety treatment for people living with MCI and dementia of any aetiology.

METHODS

A hybrid II single-blind, parallel-group randomised trial of a Tech-CBT intervention (n = 35) versus usual care (n = 35), with in-built mixed methods process and economic evaluations to inform future scale-up and implementation into clinical practice. The intervention (i) consists of six weekly sessions delivered by postgraduate psychology trainees via telehealth video-conferencing, (ii) incorporates voice assistant app technology for home-based practice, and (iii) utilises a purpose-built digital platform, My Anxiety Care. The primary outcome is change in anxiety as measured by the Rating Anxiety in Dementia scale. Secondary outcomes include change in quality of life and depression, and outcomes for carers. The process evaluation will be guided by evaluation frameworks. Qualitative interviews will be conducted with a purposive sample of participants (n = 10) and carers (n = 10), to evaluate acceptability and feasibility, as well as factors influencing participation and adherence. Interviews will also be conducted with therapists (n = 18) and wider stakeholders (n = 18), to explore contextual factors and barriers/facilitators to future implementation and scalability. A cost-utility analysis will be undertaken to determine the cost-effectiveness of Tech-CBT compared to usual care.

DISCUSSION

This is the first trial to evaluate a novel technology-assisted CBT intervention to reduce anxiety in people living with MCI and dementia. Other potential benefits include improved quality of life for people with cognitive impairment and their care partners, improved access to psychological treatment regardless of geographical location, and upskilling of the psychological workforce in anxiety treatment for people living with MCI and dementia.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

This trial has been prospectively registered with ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT05528302 [September 2, 2022].

Developmental origins of health and disease: knowledge, attitude and practice of obstetrics & gynecology residents, pediatric residents, and medical students

Developmental Origin of Health and Disease (DOHaD) explains how the health of the mother influences the offspring's risk of non-communicable diseases in later life. However, this remains underutilized in clinical practice. This study aimed to investigate the knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) of medical students, Obstetrics and Gynecology (O&G) and Pediatrics residents, toward DOHaD, identify potential barriers to DOHaD counseling, and translate DOHaD concepts into clinical practice. This cross-sectional study was conducted with a multi-section digital questionnaire, rated on a five-point Likert scale (1-5), with a higher score indicating better KAP. The scores between groups were compared using ANOVA. A total of 117 participants, comprising medical students (n = 75, 64.1 percent), O&G (n = 33, 28.2 percent) and Pediatric residents (n = 9, 7.7 percent), completed the questionnaire. The mean scores for the "Knowledge," "Attitude" and "Practice" sections were 3.73 (standard deviation 0.82), 4.27 (0.59) and 3.03 (0.52), respectively. O&G residents scored higher for the "Practice" section than Pediatric residents (mean scores 3.17 vs. 2.16; p = .048). Overall, the participants demonstrated good knowledge and attitude, but poor practice toward DOHaD. Thus, there is a need to improve education and training for health care professionals, develop a structured implementation framework, and provide a transdisciplinary care continuum for mother and child.

Differential effectiveness of a practice change intervention to improve antenatal care addressing alcohol consumption during pregnancy: Exploratory subgroup analyses within a randomised stepped-wedge controlled trial

OBJECTIVE

A practice change intervention demonstrated improvements in the provision of antenatal care addressing alcohol consumption. The aim of this study was to explore whether the effectiveness of the intervention differed between subgroups of pregnant women and types and location of maternity services.

DESIGN AND SETTING

Post-hoc exploratory subgroup analyses of the outcomes from a randomised stepped-wedge controlled trial conducted with all public maternity services within three sectors of a local health district in Australia.

MEASUREMENTS

Two outcomes (receipt of alcohol assessment and complete care) measured at two visit types (initial and subsequent) were included in analyses. Logistic regression models explored interactions between pre-post differences and subgroups of women (age, Aboriginal origin, education level, disadvantage, gravidity and alcohol consumption in pregnancy) and services (geographic remoteness, service and provider type/s) that have been reported to be associated with variation in guideline implementation.

FINDINGS

Surveys from 5694 women were included in the analyses. For the initial visit, no significant differential intervention effects between subgroups of women or type/location of services were found for either outcome. For subsequent visits, the intervention effect differed significantly only between Aboriginal origin subgroups (Aboriginal OR: 1.95; 95% CI: 0.99-3.85; non-Aboriginal OR: 5.34; 95% CI: 4.17-6.83; p<0.01) and women's alcohol consumption in pregnancy subgroups (consumed alcohol OR: 1.28; 95% CI: 0.59-2.78; not consumed alcohol OR: 5.22; 95% CI: 4.11-6.65; p<0.001) for assessment of alcohol consumption.

KEY CONCLUSIONS

These exploratory results suggest that the intervention may have had similar effects between different subgroups of women and types and location of services, with the exception of women who were non-Aboriginal and women who had not consumed alcohol, for whom the intervention was potentially more effective.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

The practice change intervention could be implemented with different maternity service and provider types to effectively support improvements in antenatal care addressing alcohol consumption. These exploratory results provide further data for hypothesis generation regarding targeted areas for the testing of additional strategies that enable Aboriginal women to benefit equally from the intervention, and to ensure those women most in need of care, those consuming alcohol during pregnancy, have their care needs met.

Evaluating a train-the-trainer model for scaling-up Healthy Conversation Skills training: A pre-post survey using the Theoretical Domains Framework

OBJECTIVES

Healthy Conversation Skills (HCS) training is an established method of upskilling health professionals in person-centred behaviour change communication. A Train-the-Trainer (TtT) model was adopted to scale-up delivery of HCS training. This study examined the impact of the TtT course on new Trainers' perceived barriers and enablers to delivering HCS training using the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF).

METHODS

The TtT course was delivered in 2019-2020. Pre-training (T1) and post-training (T2) surveys collected data on barriers and enablers to delivering HCS training based on 10 TDF domains. Data were summarised using descriptive statistics, and differences between pre- and post-training scores analysed using paired t-tests.

RESULTS

Forty-six trainees participated, including 43 women and 10 Aboriginal people. Scores for nine domains increased post-training, including knowledge, skills, social and professional role/identity, beliefs about capabilities, intentions, goals, environmental context and resources, social influences, and behavioural regulation. Knowledge, beliefs about consequences and intentions were no longer barriers to delivering HCS training after participating in the TtT course.

CONCLUSIONS

The TtT model supports new Trainers by addressing barriers to delivering HCS training.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

The HCS TtT model builds healthcare workforce capacity for person-centred approaches to behaviour change. The findings facilitate the refinement of the TtT course.

Multimorbidity in Difficult Asthma: The Need for Personalised and Non-Pharmacological Approaches to Address a Difficult Breathing Syndrome

Three to ten percent of people living with asthma have difficult-to-treat asthma that remains poorly controlled despite maximum levels of guideline-based pharmacotherapy. This may result from a combination of multiple adverse health issues including aggravating comorbidities, inadequate treatment, suboptimal inhaler technique and/or poor adherence that may individually or collectively contribute to poor asthma control. Many of these are potentially "treatable traits" that can be pulmonary, extrapulmonary, behavioural or environmental factors. Whilst evidence-based guidelines lead clinicians in pharmacological treatment of pulmonary and many extrapulmonary traits, multiple comorbidities increase the burden of polypharmacy for the patient with asthma. Many of the treatable traits can be addressed with non-pharmacological approaches. In the current healthcare model, these are delivered by separate and often disjointed specialist services. This leaves the patients feeling lost in a fragmented healthcare system where clinical outcomes remain suboptimal even with the best current practice applied in each discipline. Our review aims to address this challenge calling for a paradigm change to conceptualise difficult-to-treat asthma as a multimorbid condition of a "Difficult Breathing Syndrome" that consequently needs a holistic personalised care attitude by combining pharmacotherapy with the non-pharmacological approaches. Therefore, we propose a roadmap for an evidence-based multi-disciplinary stepped care model to deliver this.

How useful is the Making Every Contact Count Healthy Conversation Skills approach for supporting people with musculoskeletal conditions?

Aim

To explore the current use and perceptions of the Wessex model of Making Every Contact Count (MECC), incorporating Healthy Conversation Skills (HCS), focussing specifically on physiotherapists supporting people living with musculoskeletal conditions.

Methods

A mixed method, sequential explanatory design was employed. This article reports the first phase of the study, in which an online questionnaire was administered, consisting of items relating to perceived acceptability, appropriateness, feasibility, sustainability, and uptake of MECC HCS. Barriers and facilitators to MECC HCS delivery were additionally explored and mapped to the Theoretical Domains Framework.

Results

Seventy-one professionals responded, including 15 physiotherapists supporting people with MSK conditions. Across professional groups, MECC HCS was found to be highly acceptable, appropriate, and feasible. A significant interaction between perceived sustainability of MECC HCS and the location in which professionals worked was observed. Physiotherapists reported using their MECC HCS at least daily; however, there were discrepancies between the number of their patients they believed could benefit from behaviour change intervention, and the number to whom they reported actually delivering MECC HCS. Perceived barriers and facilitators to MECC HCS implementation mapped mostly to ‘Environmental Context and Resources’ on the Theoretical Domains Framework.

Conclusions

The Wessex model of MECC is a promising brief or very brief intervention for physiotherapists supporting individuals with musculoskeletal conditions. Barriers associated with the sustainability of the intervention within organisations must be addressed in order to enhance future implementation. Further rollout of this intervention may be beneficial for meeting the goals of the NHS and Public Health England in prevention of chronic MSK conditions and promotion of musculoskeletal health.