Overview

Overview of our research

Public health emergencies place healthcare systems under considerable strain, requiring rapid adaptations in healthcare delivery and introducing significant stressors. These emergencies can have widespread impacts on healthcare professionals and organizations, affecting their ability to provide consistent care. Research suggests that during such crises, healthcare professionals face multiple challenges, including inadequate training, evolving guidelines, and a rapidly changing and demanding work environment. As a result, healthcare delivery may shift, with certain areas of clinical practice being prioritized during routine consultations.

Public health policies, such as the Making Every Contact Count policy in the UK’s National Health Service, are widely used to encourage healthcare professionals to integrate health behaviour change interventions into routine consultations. These interventions may involve offering concise advice on topics such as increasing physical activity or smoking cessation to help individuals adopt healthier behaviours and connect them with relevant support services.

However, the pressures of public health emergencies may lead to the reprioritisation of such policies. Given that these emergencies often exacerbate health inequalities, supporting individuals in modifying health behaviours remains crucial. Additionally, preparing the healthcare workforce for future public health emergencies is essential to ensure they are equipped with the skills, knowledge, and resources to respond effectively to new challenges.

Consequently, the [insert acronym] study aims to understand the challenges of delivering health behaviour change interventions during public health crises and throughout the subsequent recovery periods, while also identifying strategies for preparing healthcare professionals for future emergencies.

Key objectives and aims of the research

There are a number of specific and broader research aims, including:

• Exploring and identifying healthcare professionals’ barriers and enablers to delivering health behaviour change interventions as part of routine practice
• Develop, initial testing, and exploring the acceptability of a behaviour change intervention for healthcare professionals to support health behaviour change delivery