Vogt, KS, Johnson, J orcid.org/0000-0003-0431-013X, Conner, M orcid.org/0000-0002-6229-8143 et al. (2 more authors) (2023) Barriers and enablers to delivering opportunistic behaviour change interventions during the COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative study in healthcare professionals. British Journal of Health Psychology, 28 (3). pp. 773-792. ISSN 1359-107X
Abstract
Background
In line with public health policy, healthcare professionals (HCPs) working in the UK's National Health Service (NHS) are encouraged to deliver opportunistic health behaviour change interventions during routine consultations. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare delivery has been wide-ranging, but little is known about how the pandemic has affected the delivery of health behaviour change interventions. The present study aimed to examine the barriers and enablers to delivering opportunistic behaviour change interventions during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Methods
Twenty-five qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted in January 2022 with a range of patient-facing healthcare professionals (including nurses, physiotherapists, dieticians, doctors and midwives) working in the NHS. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis.
Results
Two overarching themes were generated: (1) the healthcare system's response to COVID-19, and (2) maintaining good HCP-patient relationships: reluctance and responsibility. COVID-19-related barriers included exacerbated staffing pressures and a perceived inability to use IT equipment to facilitate conversations about health behaviour change (due to poor internet connectivity or ill-equipped platforms). COVID-19-related enablers included the use of video consultations enabling less awkward and more honest conversations about health behaviours.
However, some barriers and enablers remained the same as pre-pandemic, such as issues of role responsibility for discussing health behaviour change with patients, balancing holistic wellbeing advice with maintaining positive patient-HCP relationships, and reluctance to deliver opportunistic behaviour change interventions.
Discussion
The increased use of remote consultations may facilitate the delivery of opportunistic health behaviour change interventions by healthcare professionals. However, there is also a strong need to improve staffing levels, in order that staff have the psychological and physical capabilities to engage patients in these conversations.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC-BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. |
Keywords: | COVID-19, healthcare professionals, making every contact count, opportunistic behaviour change intervention, qualitative |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Medicine and Health (Leeds) > School of Psychology (Leeds) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 15 Feb 2023 15:25 |
Last Modified: | 24 Nov 2023 09:55 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Wiley |
Identification Number: | 10.1111/bjhp.12653 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:196046 |