Erewash self care project changes attitude more than behaviour
Significant changes in the public’s attitude to self care have
been achieved by a 12-month project commissioned by the Proprietary Association
of Great Britain. But the change in attitude has only been matched by
minor changes in behaviour.
The project, carried out in partnership with Erewash Primary Care Trust
(now part of Derbyshire County PCT), focused on three health areas — coronary
heart disease, asthma and the treatment of minor ailments by mothers
of young children (PJ, 13 November 2004, p715).
The most significant behavioural changes were seen in CHD patients and
mothers. In the case of CHD patients, those involved in the study reduced
their intake of saturated fatty foods, increased their exercise levels,
drank less alcohol and gave up smoking more than a control group. Young
mothers became so confident in treating their children’s minor
ailments that they were less likely to consult a pharmacist in the future.
Asthma patients increased their understanding of alternative ways to
manage their asthma and became more confident in consulting health professionals,
but there were no significant changes in the severity of their condition.
Discussing the findings at a self care conference in London this week,
Peter Smith, president of the National Association of Primary Care, said: “Changes
in attitude have to occur before changes in behaviour. Changes in behaviour
take rather longer.”
Oxfordshire GP David Whittaker commented: “Rekindling the notion
of self-reliance, which we extinguished long ago, is a quite alien concept
to people.”
Mike Pringle, professor in primary care at Nottingham University, who
chaired the project steering group, said: “We are recommending
that the Department of Health provides strong central leadership though
its policies, the integration of self care with other NHS priorities
and toolkits for self care support, and that strategic health authorities
provide the direction for the development of self care policies in primary
care trusts and, most importantly, that robust strategies must be developed
in each PCT.” |
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