• Put patients at ease by letting them know you’re having lifestyle conversations with all your patients.

• Gently gauge your patient’s interest in having the conversation to assess if they’re ready for change.

• Focus on the positives from the patient’s point of view to foster a constructive, two-way conversation.

• If patients aren’t interested, invite them to make a follow-up appointment when they’re ready to chat.

BMC Family Practice

Insights

• Be mindful of linking patient’s current health concern with their health behaviour, it may make them resistant.

• Build well received, collaborative conversations by inviting patient’s views using a question and answer format.

Albury C, Hall A, Syed A, Ziebland S, Stokoe E, Roberts N, Webb H, & Aveyard P (2019). Communication practices for delivering health behaviour change conversations in primary care: a systematic review and thematic synthesis. BMC Family Practice, 20: 111. Link to journal article

• Make patients more open to change by letting them know that even a small increase in their physical activity levels can improve their health and reduce their risk of disease.

• Make change more achievable by reiterating the importance of starting small and working up to bigger goals.

• Encourage patients that any positive changes to diet and exercise they make will help, no matter how small.

Public Health England

Insights

• An additional 10 minutes of brisk walking a day is seen as achievable by adults who are currently ‘inactive’, doing less than 30 minutes of physical activity per week (the category at which the greatest health risks persist).

• For currently inactive individuals, evidence shows the following health benefits from 10 minutes of brisk walking for 7 days: increased physical fitness, improved mood, healthier weight and a 15% reduction in risk of early death.

• Being active helps to better manage many common conditions, including diabetes, depression and arthritis.

Brannan M, Varney J, Timpson C, Foster C, & Murphy M (2017). 10 minutes brisk walking each day in mid-life for health benefits and towards achieving physical activity recommendations: evidence summary. London: Public Health England. Link to journal article

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition

Insight

• Research shows increased fruit and vegetable intake reduces stroke incidence, stroke mortality, ischemic heart disease mortality, cardiovascular disease mortality, and all-cause mortality in the general population.

Bazzano LA, He J, Ogden LG, Loria CM, Vupputuri S, Myers L, & Whelton K (2002). Fruit and vegetable intake and risk of cardiovascular disease in US adults: the first National health and nutrition examination survey epidemiologic follow-up study. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 76: 93-99. Link to journal article

• Get an idea of your patient’s current diet and activity levels and suggest and agree on small changes.

• Know your patient’s motivations, and work together to set achievable goals. Do they want to lose weight? Feel physically fit and healthier?

• Ask the patient if they would like any resources printed, or a list of where to find them.

The Healthy Habits app is a simple and easy way to get your patients started:

• It guides patients to set small, achievable physical activity and nutrition goals

• Your patient can choose their own goals and increase their goals over time

• The app gives your patients simple tips and tricks to help them stay on track

The Healthy Habits app allows patients to link their data to your dashboard: 

• You’ll be able to see how your patients have been tracking

• Discuss behaviours and revise goals at their next appointment

Annals of Family Medicine

Insight

• Clinicians reported using 5 key strategies to support patient behaviour change.

1. Emphasising and encouraging patient ownership

2. Partnering with patients to identify small steps

3. Frequent follow-up visits to cheer successes

4. Listening and problem solving together

5. Showing caring and concern for patients

Greene J, Hibbard JH, Alvarez C, & Overton V (2016). Supporting patient behaviour change: approaches used by primary care clinicians whose patients have an increase in activation levels. Annals of Family Medicine, 14(2), 148-154. Link to journal article

Frontiers in Public Health

Insight

• Self-tracking apps, which track activities like exercise, eating and heart rate, help users to better understand their health and make improvements in their behaviours.

Sullivan AN and Lachman ME (2017). Behavior change with fitness technology in sedentary adults: a review of the evidence for increasing physical activity. Frontiers in Public Health 4:289. Link to journal article

Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network

Insight

• A recent study shows that activity trackers, such as pedometers and smartphone apps, are linked to improved step counts and exercise engagement for cancer survivors.

Schaffer K et al. (2019). Systematic review of randomized controlled trials of exercise interventions using digital activity trackers in patients with cancer, Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (2019). Link to journal article