Improving Cardiovascular Disease Risk Communication in the UK National Health Service Health Check Programme

Objective
To develop and test training to improve practitioners’ confidence and perceived understanding when communicating cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk using novel tools and metrics.

Methods
A CVD risk communication training workshop was developed through interviews with patients and practitioners delivering Health Checks, a literature review, NICE guidance and the UK Health Check competency framework. It was pilot-tested with practitioners delivering Health Checks in the UK. Perceived practitioner understanding and confidence were measured before and up to 10 weeks after the workshop, and changes were compared with those in a control group (who received no intervention). Perceived impact was also explored through semi-structured interviews.

Results
Sixty-two practitioners (34 intervention, 28 control) took part. Perceived practitioner understanding (p = .030) and perceived patient understanding (p = .007) improved significantly for those delivering Health Checks in the training group compared with controls. Practitioner confidence also improved significantly more in practitioners who attended the training (p = .001). Findings were supported by interviews with a sub-sample of practitioners (n = 13).

Conclusion
The training workshop improved practitioners’ confidence and perceived understanding of CVD risk in Health Checks.

Practice Implications
The training is an important step to improving practitioner understanding of CVD risk in Health Checks and should be implemented on a wider scale.