Making every contact count

Question 1

What is making every contact count (MECC?)

Answer 1

Encouraging people to make healthier choices for better health:

1) systematically promoting the benefits of healthy living
2) Asking individuals about their lifestyle, responding appropriately
3) taking appropriate action- give info, signpost, or refer to support service

Question 2

What issues does MECC cover?

Answer 2

healthy eating/maintaining healthy weight 
taking regular physical activity 
stopping smoking 
drinking alc in recommended limits 
mental health and wellbeing 
sexual health

Question 3

MECC is a brief intervention

how would you go about this?

Answer 3

A “chat for change”

it is a short conversation that may put someone on the first step to better health and wellbeing

Question 4

What are the benefits of brief advice?

Answer 4

• most serious illnesses are caused/ perpetuated by unhealthy lifestyles
• adopting healthier lifestyles can have a huge positive effect on people’s health
• delivering brief advice/ interventions can be the trigger to change.

Question 5

What is the case for MECC with reference to the NHS?

Answer 5

• prevents poor health and promotes healthy living which is essential to reduce health inequalities and sustain the NHS for future generations
• as part of the NHS we have a responsibility to protect and improve overall health and wellbeing of service users and staff

Question 6

What evidence is there for making a case for MECC?

Answer 6

• alcohol advice changes drinking behaviour in 1/8, massively reducing A and E admissions and saving on costs.
• Obesity care: Weight loss higher in people that attended an offered intervention.

Question 7

Case for MECC

Answer 7

• most people want to be healthy and improve their own health (70% smokers want to quit).
• research shows patients welcome conversations to change their lifestyle but wont start these conversations themselves
• MECC makes it easier for people to make those changes
• Will see improved and quicker outcomes from treatments
• Satisfaction of knowing you are making a difference and increased confidence in contacts with patients

Question 8

What three aspects relate to behaviour change (the COM B model)

Answer 8

1) capability
2) motivation
3) opportunity

all relate to health behaviour and changing behaviour.

Question 9

How would you help implement a behaviour change in practice?

Answer 9

1) define behavioural problem
2) what target behaviour will address the problem
3) clear plan of who will perform the target behaviours (patient). What behaviour needs to change? who else is involved?
4) asses using COMB framework- do they have capability, motivation and opportunity to engage in behaviour change
5) reflect, evaluate, monitor and adapt

Question 10

how would you start a convo about health behaviour change?

Answer 10

how do you feel about your health and wellbeing today?
what could you change to make your lifestyle healthier?
how important is it to you to make your lifestyle healthier? (scale 1-10)

Question 11

How could you continue the initial conversation about health behaviour change?

Answer 11

• listen to what the patient tells you
• reflect back to them and check
• take action: 1) provide info 2_ signpost 3) make a referral
• if not interested do not force the issue

Question 12

5 components of brief advice?

Answer 12

1) ask
2) assess
3) advise
4) assist
5) act/ arrange refer