The impact of Healthy Conversation Skills training on health professionals’ barriers to having behaviour change conversations: a pre-post survey using the Theoretical Domains Framework
Abstract Background Changing people’s behaviour by giving advice and instruction, as traditionally provided in healthcare consultations, is usually ineffective. Healthy Conversation Skills (HCS) training enhances health professionals’ communication skills and ability to empower and motivate people i...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2021-08-01
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| Series: | BMC Health Services Research |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-021-06893-4 |
| _version_ | 1818661609096085504 |
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| author | Jenna L. Hollis Lucy Kocanda Kirsty Seward Clare Collins Belinda Tully Mandy Hunter Maralyn Foureur Wendy Lawrence Lesley MacDonald-Wicks Tracy Schumacher |
| author_facet | Jenna L. Hollis Lucy Kocanda Kirsty Seward Clare Collins Belinda Tully Mandy Hunter Maralyn Foureur Wendy Lawrence Lesley MacDonald-Wicks Tracy Schumacher |
| author_sort | Jenna L. Hollis |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Changing people’s behaviour by giving advice and instruction, as traditionally provided in healthcare consultations, is usually ineffective. Healthy Conversation Skills (HCS) training enhances health professionals’ communication skills and ability to empower and motivate people in health behaviour change. Guided by the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF), this study examined the impact of HCS training on health professional barriers to conducting behaviour change conversations in both clinical and non-clinical settings. Secondary aims were to i) identify health professionals’ barriers to having behaviour change conversations, and explore the ii) effect of HCS training on health professionals’ competence and attitudes to adopting HCS, iii) feasibility, acceptability and appropriateness of using HCS in their clinical and non-clinical roles, and iv) acceptability and quality of HCS training. Methods HCS training was conducted in October-November 2019 and February 2020. Pre-training (T1), post-training (T2) and follow-up (T3; 6-10 weeks post-training) surveys collected data on demographics and changes in competence, confidence, importance and usefulness (10-point Likert scale, where 10 = highest score) of conducting behaviour change conversations. Validated items assessing barriers to having these conversations were based on eight TDF domains. Post-training acceptability and quality of training was assessed. Data were summarised using descriptive statistics, and differences between TDF domain scores at the specific time points were analysed using Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed-rank tests. Results Sixty-four participants consented to complete surveys (97% women; 16% identified as Aboriginal), with 37 employed in clinical settings and 27 in non-clinical settings. The training improved scores for the TDF domains of skills (T1: median (interquartile range) = 4.7(3.3-5.3); T3 = 5.7(5.3-6.0), p < 0.01), belief about capabilities (T1 = 4.7(3.3-6.0); T3 = 5.7(5.0-6.0), p < 0.01), and goals (T1 = 4.3(3.7-5.0); T3 = 4.7(4.3-5.3), p < 0.01) at follow-up. Competence in using ‘open discovery questions’ increased post-training (T1 = 25% of responses; T2 = 96% of responses; T3 = 87% of responses, p < 0.001), as did participants’ confidence for having behaviour change conversations (T1 = 6.0(4.7-7.6); T2 = 8.1(7.1-8.8), p < 0.001), including an increased confidence in having behaviour change conversations with Aboriginal clients (T1 = 5.0(2.7-6.3); T2 = 7.6(6.4-8.3), p < 0.001). Conclusions Provision of additional support strategies to address intentions; memory, attention and decision processes; and behavioural regulation may enhance adoption and maintenance of HCS in routine practice. Wider implementation of HCS training could be an effective strategy to building capacity and support health professionals to use a person-centred, opportunistic approach to health behaviour change. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-17T04:47:46Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7f550b4f4919418c910ab6a699691a20 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1472-6963 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-17T04:47:46Z |
| publishDate | 2021-08-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Health Services Research |
| spelling | doaj.art-7f550b4f4919418c910ab6a699691a202022-12-21T22:03:01ZengBMCBMC Health Services Research1472-69632021-08-0121111310.1186/s12913-021-06893-4The impact of Healthy Conversation Skills training on health professionals’ barriers to having behaviour change conversations: a pre-post survey using the Theoretical Domains FrameworkJenna L. Hollis0Lucy Kocanda1Kirsty Seward2Clare Collins3Belinda Tully4Mandy Hunter5Maralyn Foureur6Wendy Lawrence7Lesley MacDonald-Wicks8Tracy Schumacher9Hunter New England Population Health, Hunter New England Local Health DistrictSchool of Medicine and Public Health, The University of NewcastlePriority Research Centre for Health Behaviour, The University of NewcastleHunter Medical Research InstituteHunter New England Population Health, Hunter New England Local Health DistrictHunter New England Local Health District Nursing and Midwifery ServicesSchool of Nursing and Midwifery, The University of NewcastleMedical Research Council Lifecourse Epidemiology Centre, University of SouthamptonHunter Medical Research InstituteHunter Medical Research InstituteAbstract Background Changing people’s behaviour by giving advice and instruction, as traditionally provided in healthcare consultations, is usually ineffective. Healthy Conversation Skills (HCS) training enhances health professionals’ communication skills and ability to empower and motivate people in health behaviour change. Guided by the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF), this study examined the impact of HCS training on health professional barriers to conducting behaviour change conversations in both clinical and non-clinical settings. Secondary aims were to i) identify health professionals’ barriers to having behaviour change conversations, and explore the ii) effect of HCS training on health professionals’ competence and attitudes to adopting HCS, iii) feasibility, acceptability and appropriateness of using HCS in their clinical and non-clinical roles, and iv) acceptability and quality of HCS training. Methods HCS training was conducted in October-November 2019 and February 2020. Pre-training (T1), post-training (T2) and follow-up (T3; 6-10 weeks post-training) surveys collected data on demographics and changes in competence, confidence, importance and usefulness (10-point Likert scale, where 10 = highest score) of conducting behaviour change conversations. Validated items assessing barriers to having these conversations were based on eight TDF domains. Post-training acceptability and quality of training was assessed. Data were summarised using descriptive statistics, and differences between TDF domain scores at the specific time points were analysed using Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed-rank tests. Results Sixty-four participants consented to complete surveys (97% women; 16% identified as Aboriginal), with 37 employed in clinical settings and 27 in non-clinical settings. The training improved scores for the TDF domains of skills (T1: median (interquartile range) = 4.7(3.3-5.3); T3 = 5.7(5.3-6.0), p < 0.01), belief about capabilities (T1 = 4.7(3.3-6.0); T3 = 5.7(5.0-6.0), p < 0.01), and goals (T1 = 4.3(3.7-5.0); T3 = 4.7(4.3-5.3), p < 0.01) at follow-up. Competence in using ‘open discovery questions’ increased post-training (T1 = 25% of responses; T2 = 96% of responses; T3 = 87% of responses, p < 0.001), as did participants’ confidence for having behaviour change conversations (T1 = 6.0(4.7-7.6); T2 = 8.1(7.1-8.8), p < 0.001), including an increased confidence in having behaviour change conversations with Aboriginal clients (T1 = 5.0(2.7-6.3); T2 = 7.6(6.4-8.3), p < 0.001). Conclusions Provision of additional support strategies to address intentions; memory, attention and decision processes; and behavioural regulation may enhance adoption and maintenance of HCS in routine practice. Wider implementation of HCS training could be an effective strategy to building capacity and support health professionals to use a person-centred, opportunistic approach to health behaviour change.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-021-06893-4Behaviour change theoryCommunication skillsHealth promotionHealthy Conversation SkillsTheoretical Domains FrameworkWorkforce development |
| spellingShingle | Jenna L. Hollis Lucy Kocanda Kirsty Seward Clare Collins Belinda Tully Mandy Hunter Maralyn Foureur Wendy Lawrence Lesley MacDonald-Wicks Tracy Schumacher The impact of Healthy Conversation Skills training on health professionals’ barriers to having behaviour change conversations: a pre-post survey using the Theoretical Domains Framework BMC Health Services Research Behaviour change theory Communication skills Health promotion Healthy Conversation Skills Theoretical Domains Framework Workforce development |
| title | The impact of Healthy Conversation Skills training on health professionals’ barriers to having behaviour change conversations: a pre-post survey using the Theoretical Domains Framework |
| title_full | The impact of Healthy Conversation Skills training on health professionals’ barriers to having behaviour change conversations: a pre-post survey using the Theoretical Domains Framework |
| title_fullStr | The impact of Healthy Conversation Skills training on health professionals’ barriers to having behaviour change conversations: a pre-post survey using the Theoretical Domains Framework |
| title_full_unstemmed | The impact of Healthy Conversation Skills training on health professionals’ barriers to having behaviour change conversations: a pre-post survey using the Theoretical Domains Framework |
| title_short | The impact of Healthy Conversation Skills training on health professionals’ barriers to having behaviour change conversations: a pre-post survey using the Theoretical Domains Framework |
| title_sort | impact of healthy conversation skills training on health professionals barriers to having behaviour change conversations a pre post survey using the theoretical domains framework |
| topic | Behaviour change theory Communication skills Health promotion Healthy Conversation Skills Theoretical Domains Framework Workforce development |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-021-06893-4 |
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