Influences on individuals' decisions to take up the offer of a health check: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Health checks are promoted to evaluate individuals' risk of developing disease and to initiate health promotion and disease prevention interventions. The NHS Health Check is a cardiovascular risk assessment programme introduced in the UK aimed at preventing cardiovascular disease (CVD). Uptake of health checks is lower than anticipated. This study aimed to explore influences on people's decisions to take up the offer of a health check. METHODS: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with people registered at four general practices in South London. The interview schedule was informed by the Theoretical Domains Framework. Data were analysed qualitatively using the Framework method using NVivo for data management. RESULTS: Twenty-seven participants invited for a health check were included in the study. Seventeen received the health check while 10 either did not attend or failed to complete the check. Five themes emerging from the data included a lack of awareness of the health check programme, beliefs about susceptibility to CVD, beliefs about civic responsibility, issues concerning access to appointments, and beliefs about the consequences of having a check. CONCLUSIONS: Health check programmes need to raise public awareness to ensure that people are informed about the objectives and nature of the programme in order to reach an informed decision about taking up the invitation. Emphasizing the benefits of prevention and early detection might encourage attendance in those who are reluctant to burden the public health-care systems. Extending outreach initiatives and increasing 'out of hours' provision at local community sites could facilitate access.

Detection of heart disease by open access echocardiography: a retrospective analysis of general practice referrals.

BACKGROUND: Heart disease is difficult to detect clinically and it has been suggested that echocardiography should be available to all patients with possible cardiac symptoms or signs. AIM: To analyse the results of 2 years of open access echocardiography for the frequency of structural heart disease according to request. DESIGN AND SETTING: Retrospective database analysis in a teaching hospital open access echocardiography service. METHOD: Reports of all open access transthoracic echocardiograms between January 2011 and December 2012 were categorised as normal, having minor abnormalities, or significant abnormalities according to the indication. RESULTS: There were 2343 open access echocardiograms performed and there were significant abnormalities in 29%, predominantly valve disease (n = 304, 13%), LV systolic dysfunction (n = 179, 8%), aortic dilatation (n = 80, 3%), or pulmonary hypertension (n = 91, 4%). If echocardiography had been targeted at a high-risk group, 267 with valve disease would have been detected (compared to 127 with murmur alone) and 139 with LV systolic dysfunction (compared to 91 with suspected heart failure alone). Most GP practices requested fewer than 10 studies, but 6 practices requested over 70 studies. CONCLUSION: Open access echocardiograms are often abnormal but structural disease may not be suspected from the clinical request. Uptake by individual practices is patchy. A targeted expansion of echocardiography in patients with a high likelihood of disease is therefore likely to increase the detection of clinically important pathology.

Variations in the organization and delivery of the 'NHS health check' in primary care.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the organization of the new cardiovascular risk assessment programme, NHS Health Checks, in general practices. METHODS: All 99 general practices in two inner London boroughs were invited to participate in a cross-sectional survey by completing an online questionnaire. RESULTS: Data were analysed for 66/99 (67%) eligible practices. Training attended for delivering the Health Check included measurement methods (43%), delivering risk information (65%) and advising on lifestyle change (62%). The Framingham risk score was used by 66% of practices, the QRisk score by 12% and both by 8%. Advice given to patients identified as high risk was 'usually' brief at 26% of practices, advice was given verbally at 92% of practices, in written form at 74% and through interactive visual materials at 29%. Statins were 'usually' prescribed to high-risk patients by 34% of practices and antihypertensive drugs by 22%. The follow-up of high-risk patients was by means of a register with regular recall at 51% of general practices. CONCLUSIONS: There is considerable diversity in general practices' implementation of the NHS Health Check. A formal quality assurance process may be required in order to optimize the implementation of the NHS cardiovascular risk assessment programme.