Making Every Contact Count Flashcards
What percentage of the UK’s disability adjusted life years lost are attributable to tobacco, hypertension, alcohol, being overweight or being physically inactive (i.e. behavioural patterns)?
40%
Define the Making Every Contact Count (MECC).
An approach to behaviour change that utilises the millions of day-to-day interactions that organisations + individuals have with other people to support them in making positive changes to their physical & mental health + wellbeing
What does Making Every Contact Counts (MECC) mainly enable healthcare professionals to do?
Opportunistic delivery of consistent + concise healthy lifestyle information enabling individuals to engage in conversations about their health at scale across organisations + populations
What is the responsibility of organisations in the Making Every Contact Counts (MECC) initiative?
Provide staff with leadership, environment, training + information to deliver MECC
What is the responsibility of staff in the Making Every Contact Counts (MECC) initiative?
Have the competence + confidence to deliver healthy lifestyle messages, encourage people to change behaviour + direct them to support services
What is the responsibility of patients in the Making Every Contact Counts (MECC) initiative?
Seek support + take action to improve own lifestyle
How does Making Every Contact Counts (MECC) encourage people to make healthier choices for their health?
- Systematically promoting the benefits of healthy living
- Asking individuals about their lifestyle + responding appropriate
- Taking appropriate action i.e. give information, signpost or refer to support service
Why is Making Every Contact Counts (MECC) a brief intervention?
It could just be a short conversation that may just put someone of the first step to better health + wellbeing - a ‘chat for change’
What lifestyle issues does Making Every Contact Counts (MECC) cover?
- Healthy eating/maintaining healthy weight
- Taking regular physical activity
- Smoking cessation
- Drinking alcohol within recommended limits
- Mental health + wellbeing
- Sexual health
What is Making Every Contact Counts (MECC) not meant to be?
- Another job in busy working day
- Being a specialist
- Being a counsellor or providing ongoing support
- About telling somebody what to do + how to live their live
What is the main point of Making Every Contact Counts (MECC)?
Help other people to know how they can improve their own health + wellbeing
Why does the Making Every Contact Counts (MECC) intervention mean you save time?
You spend less time discussing a subject as you can refer to a service that has the time + skills to go into more depth
What are the benefits of Making Every Contact Counts (MECC)?
- Most serious illnesses caused/perpetuated by unhealthy lifestyles
- Adopting healthier lifestyles can have a huge +ve effect on people’s health
- Can be the trigger to change
- Ideal for most settings
- Skills needed are generic
- Quick + cost-effective
- Evidence based
- Effects persist for 2-4 years afterwards
- Reduced acute admissions/A&E attendance
- Improved + quicker outcomes from treatments e.g. wound healing
How much can positive health behaviours impact a person’s health?
Being a non-smoker, keeping within alcohol limits + having recommended vitamin C from fruit/veg -> 14 year difference in life expectancy compared with patients that done the opposite
What effect will being poor have on an individuals health?
People living in the poorest areas will, on average, die 7 years earlier than people living in richer areas + spend 17 more years living with ill health
The commitment to reduce health inequalities is a priority for the health system drawing upon the ___ __ to address the wider health determinants.
Marmot Review
How can Making Every Contact Counts (MECC) aid health inequalities?
Preventing poor health + promoting healthy living is essential to reduce health inequalities + sustain the NHS for future generations
Why does Making Every Contact Counts (MECC) fit in with the NHS’s roles?
NHS organisation has a responsibility to protect + improve overall health + wellbeing of staff + service users
What is the main case for Making Every Contact Counts (MECC)?
Duty of care
How long does a Making Every Contact Counts (MECC) intervention have to be to have an impact?
30 seconds
Why is Making Every Contact Counts (MECC) beneficial for patients?
- Most people want to be healthy + improve health
- Patients welcome opportunity to talk to staff about lifestyle issues but don’t start conversations themselves/think staff are too busy to talk
- Makes it easier for people to make those changes
Why is Making Every Contact Counts (MECC) beneficial for staff?
- Satisfaction of making a difference to patient’s life
- Increased confidence in patient contacts
- Improve own lifestyle
- Enhance skillset
What is the key to understanding patient’s behaviour?
The behaviour change wheel
COM-B model
What are the 3 circles of the behaviour change wheel?
Innermost: sources of behaviour
Middle: intervention functions
Outer: policy
What does the COM-B model say influences behaviour?
Capability
Opportunity
Motivation (key one)
How can you put behaviour change into practice?
- Define behavioural problem
- What target behaviour will address the problem?
- Clear plan of what, when + how patient will do the target behaviour (consider others involved)
- Assess using COM-B if they have the 3 factors needed to change behaviour
- Reflect, evaluate, monitor + adapt if necessary
What questions could you ask to start the Making Every Contact Counts (MECC)conversation?
- How do you feel about your health + wellbeing today?
- What could you change to make your lifestyle healthier?
- On a scale of 1-10 how important is it for you to make your lifestyle healthier?
What can you do if a patient does not want to change a health behaviour?
DO NOT force them, leave the door open + perhaps send them away with some information in case they change their mind
What can you do if a patient is ready to change a health behaviour?
Offer them a package of support
How do you continue the Making Every Contact Counts (MECC) conversation?
- Listen to what client tells you
- Reflect back: “so what you are saying is…” or “can I just check…”
- Take action: provide info, signpost or make a referral
How can you provide very brief Making Every Contact Counts (MECC) advice?
A - Ask
A - Advise
A - Act/refer
How can you provide brief Making Every Contact Counts (MECC) advice?
A - Assess A - Advise A - Agree A - Assist A - Arrange/refer
What should you remember when you are delivering Making Every Contact Counts (MECC) intervention?
L - Look interested I - Involve yourself by responding S - Stay focused on info giving T - Test your understanding E - Evaluate what is not being said N - Neutralise your feelings
Who can Making Every Contact Counts (MECC) interventions be carried out on?
Patients/clients Colleagues Carers/family Family Friends
ANYONE
When can you raise a lifestyle issue?
- As part of existing assessment/info gathering
- Any day-to-day contact with patient/client
- When you hear someone mention a lifestyle problem
- When you can see that support with a lifestyle issue may be of help
How can you monitor the impact of Making Every Contact Counts (MECC)?
- Record intervention where possible
- Ask again if you see patient again
- Refer to evidence base
If you do a Making Every Contact Counts (MECC) intervention, patients may:
- Appreciate that you encouraged them to make changes they had been considering for some time
- Be grateful you have taken the time to talk to them
- Make connections between lifestyle + what they want from life
- Live longer + healthier lives because of what you did
