Search

Background: Community-based volunteering supports outbreak management by extending reach into at-risk communities. This paper examines the application of a 'community champions' model in England, UK, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Evidence pre-pandemic shows that community champion interventions tap into social networks to strengthen connections with disadvantaged communities. During the pandemic, the UK government set up a COVID community champions funding award scheme for local authorities to develop local programmes that addressed emerging inequalities. The study aim was to identify transferable learning on community engagement in the pandemic by undertaking a secondary qualitative synthesis of practice-based case studies of local COVID community champion programmes. Methods: A systematic staged approach for synthesis of practice-based case studies was used. In total, 16 COVID community champion case studies, which were written by practitioners involved in local programme implementation and published by the Local Government Association, were included. Case studies covered aims, programme development and delivery, examples of activities and a discussion of learning. Framework qualitative analysis methods were used to code and organise data prior to cross case analysis. The final stage produced an overarching thematic framework that best represented descriptive and interpretive themes. Results: The results provide an overview of common features of COVID community champion programmes and emergent learning. All local programmes aimed to reduce health inequalities by involving at-risk communities in local prevention efforts, adapting the approach to local priorities. Two levels of community engagement were volunteer mobilisation and subsequent community-based outreach activities. Elements of capacity building, such as training and creation of networks, were common. The synthesis of practice-based learning found that stronger relationships with communities were regarded as a key mechanism to support more equitable prevention strategies. Other learning themes related to champion roles, community engagement strategies and programme implementation. Conclusions: By focusing on how community champion approaches were applied by local authorities in England during the COVID-19 pandemic, this study contributes to knowledge on volunteer mobilisation as a mechanism to improve public health communication and outreach. Notwithstanding the limitations of experiential evidence, the synthesis of practice-based learning highlights potentially transferable community engagement strategies for health protection and health improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A growing evidence base highlights the challenges and support needs of young carers and young adult carers, however research and policy frequently neglect the voice and experience of young people themselves. A team at NHS England developed the Young Carer Health Champions programme to bring together young carers and young adult carers from across England, establishing a network of peer support, sharing of experiences and improving confidence, health literacy and wellbeing. This commissioned independent evaluation aimed to explore the impact of the programme and inform future delivery. Taking a qualitative case study approach, young participants have a central voice, illuminated through the observations of the researcher during residential activities, and data generated during a focus group and telephone and on-line interviews. Findings demonstrate positive impact on the personal development and lifestyles of the Young Carer Health Champions, and their journey from beneficiary to pro-active shaper of services and policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The puzzle of unsustainability of innovations in education is persistent. This article aims to address this problem by discussing the significance of the interpersonal relations between education actors in Kindergarten to Grade 12 settings framed within the complex adaptive systems theory framework. The author begins by identifying three levels of relations within western K-12 educational systems and suggests that these human relational ties need to be considered by leaders or innovation champions when designing educational interventions. The conclusion draws together the cascading effects of these three levels within K-12 settings using a descriptive example derived from the Alberta school system experience with implementing the Framework for Kindergarten to Grade 12 Wellness. The intent of this theoretical mapping is to enable school leaders to recognize the influence of human relations on the implementation of sustainable innovation in school settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are a leading cause of death in India, creating the need to research strategies for preventing and recognising these diseases. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to develop and research an interactive health education programme on NCDs in a rural subpopulation of Bengaluru and to build 'health champions' among young people to contribute to the prevention of NCDs in India. Design: A descriptive qualitative approach was used to develop and evaluate an interactive educational programme. Students, aged 12–16, from a rural secondary school took part in the study. Method: Participants were separated into five focus groups covering different NCDs including hypertension, diabetes mellitus, otitis media, oral cancer and malnutrition. Each focus group was interviewed face-to-face before, during and after all activities. Content analysis was conducted using a directed approach. Results: Findings were organised into themes that described aspects of learning that enhanced or detracted from student understanding about NCDs. Conclusion: Findings from this study show that creative methods have a positive impact on educating students, aged 12–16, on NCDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: This paper explores contemporary issues around community-based health promotion in the light of international health policies reaffirming the central role of community action within broader efforts to achieve health equity. Adopting a system-level approach poses challenges for current health promotion practice and evaluation, particularly where there is a shift in emphasis from small-scale community health projects towards mainstream community programmes, capable of engaging widely across diverse populations. Methods: Drawing on research with community members carried out by the Centre for Health Promotion Research, Leeds Metropolitan University, UK, the paper re-examines assumptions about the nature of interventions within community settings, and what participation means from a lay perspective. Key research issues for community-based health promotion are highlighted. Conclusions: The paper concludes by proposing that community-based interventions need to be reframed, if the dual challenges of citizen involvement and evidence based practice are to be met. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Health Champions are a growing component within the British public health workforce and their roles are now emphasised within the coalition's Government's public health strategy. However, there is the need for further exploration of the way in which Health Champions use interpersonal communication within their roles. This paper reports on the findings from a mixed method evaluation of one Health Champion programme in North East England. A key finding was the way in which Health Champions used circles of influence to communicate health knowledge and to try to achieve behaviour change, starting with themselves in the centre of their circle and then moving outwards to influence others such as family, friends and colleagues through their social networks. The paper argues that health champions act as healthy role models within their own circles of influence to successfully communicate health knowledge to those around them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In efforts to respond to key government public health initiatives for settings-based health promotion, the ‘Workplace Health Champion’ role has emerged as a method of promoting health within the UK healthcare setting. Health promotion techniques used by these individuals are based on psychological theories that are known to motivate people to change behaviours associated with ill-health. Health Champions, like NHS Health Trainers, assist individuals in setting personal goals to change behaviours thus encouraging empowerment and individual sense of control over personal health and well-being. This article describes the developing role of NHS Health Champions in the public health agenda. Nurses are well placed to promote healthy lifestyles to their patients and clients although evidence suggests that healthcare staff do not always heed their own advice, despite being viewed as role models for health amongst the general public. Nurses are proposed here as both targets and facilitators of health promotion and are advocated as ideal workplace health champions within the NHS. This might be achieved through structured educational training in health improvement for nurses and other healthcare professionals. We propose that health service managers consider supporting healthcare professionals to become workplace health champions. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article reviews 10 techniques used to identify opinion leaders to promote behavior change. Opinion leaders can act as gatekeepers for interventions, help change social norms, and accelerate behavior change. Few studies document the manner in which opinion leaders are identified, recruited, and trained to promote health. The authors categorize close to 200 studies that have studied or used opinion leaders to promote behavior change into 10 different methods. They present the advantages and disadvantages of the 10 opinion leader identification methods and provide sample instruments for each. Factors that might influence programs to select one or another method are then discussed, and the article closes with a discussion of combining and comparing methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The future large-scale deployment of Assisted Living Technologies crucially depends on establishing patient benefit at scale. This entails overcoming barriers to uptake, and devising viable service and business models. This current project, MALT: Overcoming Barriers to Mainstreaming Assisted Living Technologies, funded by the Technology Strategy Board through the Assisted Living Innovation Platform, aims to explore these issues with a focus on the delivery of telehealth for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and chronic heart failure. Aim: To explore the barriers and facilitators to telehealth across four sites currently delivering community based services in the Yorkshire and Humber region. In particular, this paper focuses on the perceptions and roles of frontline staff at the implementation and delivery phases of telehealth, which are identified as both potential barriers and facilitators to mainstreaming telehealth successfully. Methods: This first phase of the study involved qualitative interviews with samples of frontline nursing staff; managers, commissioners and other key stakeholders; and patients and carers from each site. Drawing on the existing literature, the data were analysed thematically to identify the barriers and facilitators to successful telehealth implementation and delivery. Results: Staff views of telehealth as a new tool for practice range from resistance and scepticism, to acceptance and enthusiasm, and there are varying opinions about the overall rationale for using telehealth in the community and the patient groups most likely to benefit. Where initial perceptions about telehealth are negative and the availability of training, support and encouragement limited, acceptance of telehealth among frontline staff can be low. Staff engagement at the implementation phase is also influenced by other factors such as workload and working practices; rapid organisational change; and existing information systems and technology. 'Local champions' who promote, encourage and support staff, and share their positive experiences of using telehealth can help to counteract these barriers and persuade staff to introduce telehealth for their patients. Other facilitators were also found to be important, including clear and robust systems for installation, technical support and patient monitoring; and user-friendly and appropriate equipment. Conclusions: Effective service implementation hinges on the acceptance of frontline staff who assume responsibility for promoting the use of telehealth; selecting and referring patients for telehealth; installing and maintaining telehealth equipment; monitoring patients and managing alerts; supporting users of telehealth and meeting their health and related needs; and case managing patients. For some staff telehealth is only one aspect of their wider role, and where perceptions are initially negative, sharing positive stories about using telehealth can encourage staff to challenge these views and learn more about the potential benefits of using telehealth, both for their patients and themselves. However, sharing best practice can be difficult at the implementation phase due to the range of services and staff groups involved in delivering telehealth, and because success stories are not always immediately available. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]