Inreasing the uptake of a health check-up

Client: Mabadiliko

Year: 2023

Project Background:

A project for Mabadiliko, a London-based CIC (Community Interest Company) with a mission to end health inequalities. Mabadiliko was comissioned by consortium of London-based Health organisations (including a few NHS Trusts) to help improve the Vital 5 health check up to be rolled out in certain borroughts in London.

Challenge:

Vital 5 was developed with the aim to improve health engagement of London inhabitants, with a focus on disenaged groups. Its goal was to go where traditionally health checkups are not performed, but where people who do need them, may gather, such as community places, pharmacies. The project was about identifing potential improvements to the Vital 5 Health Check to enhance it’s acceptability, take-up and effectiveness, especially among the underserved groups/ minorities.

Approach

• Consolidating qualitative analysis performed by other researchers into a coherent story.

• Literature review into effective behaviour change techiques that can be used during on-the-spot check ups.

• Developing behavioural science-based scripts to encourage people attending community pharmacies and GPs to perform a Vital 5 check.

What we found:

• People find it hard to engage with health care system due to accessibility, flexibility and trust issues.

• An on-the spot health check-up is an acceptable way for people to get some information about their health and how they can improve it.

• Special attention needs to be paid to the language used when approaching people increase acceptance.

• Specific behaviour change techniques and motivational interviewing approaches can be used to increase the likelihood of people taking up the check-up and, if necessary, changing their behaviours related to their health.

Results:

• A report on the improvements to the Vital 5 health check up.

• Behavioural-science based check up scripts for people performing the check up.