Back to Search Start Over

Enhancing the implementation of the Making Every Contact Count brief behavioural intervention programme in Ireland: protocol for the Making MECC Work research programme.

Authors :
Meade O
O'Brien M
Mc Sharry J
Lawless A
Coughlan S
Hart J
Hayes C
Keyworth C
Lavoie KL
Murphy AW
Murphy P
Noone C
O'Reilly O
Byrne M
Source :
HRB open research [HRB Open Res] 2022 Jan 18; Vol. 5, pp. 6. Date of Electronic Publication: 2022 Jan 18 (Print Publication: 2022).
Publication Year :
2022

Abstract

Background: Brief behavioural interventions offered by healthcare professionals to target health behavioural risk factors (e.g. physical activity, diet, smoking and drug and alcohol use) can positively impact patient health outcomes. The Irish Health Service Executive (HSE) Making Every Contact Count (MECC) Programme supports healthcare professionals to offer patients brief opportunistic behavioural interventions during routine consultations. The potential for MECC to impact public health depends on its uptake and implementation.   Aim: This protocol outlines the 'Making MECC Work' research programme, a HSE/Health Behaviour Change Research Group collaboration to develop an implementation strategy to optimise uptake of MECC in Ireland. The programme will answer three research questions: (1) What determines delivery of MECC brief interventions by healthcare professionals at individual and organisational levels? (2) What are patient attitudes towards, and experiences of, receiving MECC interventions from healthcare professionals? (3) What evidence-informed implementation strategy options can be consensually developed with key stakeholders to optimise MECC implementation? Methods: In Work Package 1, we will examine determinants of MECC delivery by healthcare professionals using a multi-methods approach, including: (WP1.1) a national survey of healthcare professionals who have participated in MECC eLearning training and (WP1.2) a qualitative interview study with relevant healthcare professionals and HSE staff. In Work Package 2, we will examine patient attitudes towards, and experiences of, MECC using qualitative interviews. Work Package 3 will combine findings from Work Packages 1 and 2 using the Behaviour Change Wheel to identify and develop testable implementation strategy options (WP 3.1). Strategies will be refined and prioritised using a key stakeholder consensus process to develop a collaborative implementation blueprint to optimise and scale-up MECC (WP3.2). Discussion: Research programme outputs are expected to positively support the integration of MECC brief behaviour change interventions into the Irish healthcare system and inform the scale-up of behaviour change interventions internationally.<br />Competing Interests: No competing interests were disclosed.<br /> (Copyright: © 2022 Meade O et al.)

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
2515-4826
Volume :
5
Database :
MEDLINE
Journal :
HRB open research
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
35224443
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.12688/hrbopenres.13481.1