Enhancing the implementation of the National Making Every Contact Count Programme in Ireland
Making Every Contact Count (MECC) aims to develop a culture within the health service where we use every opportunity possible to talk to patients about healthy lifestyle choices. The areas covered include, quitting smoking, reducing alcohol intake, improving their diet, increasing physical activity, managing their weight and minding their mental health and wellbeing.
The MECC Team and the Health Behaviour Change Research Group at the University of Galway recently published the Making MECC Work Policy Brief, which provides research findings and evidence based recommendations to scale up the implementation of MECC in the health service. The policy brief is available at https://www.makingmeccwork.com/study-outputs/
Recommendations to enhance the implementation of MECC:
- Provide dedicated time to practitioners to attend training and use MECC
- Empower and engage management/senior staff to take responsibility for MECC delivery
- Implement a user-friendly and integrated system of recording MECC delivery
- Develop service directories for healthcare professionals to refer patients
- Have local MECC champions to model best practice and share experiences
- Have a dedicated resource centre on the MECC website with information regarding MECC training courses and contacts
- Have a HSE national communications campaign to promote MECC to staff and patients
- Generate and highlight evidence for the impact of MECC on patients
- Enhance integration of MECC with undergraduate healthcare professional education
An Implementation Plan to address these recommendations is currently being developed.
Where can I find out more about the MECC programme and research?
For more information about the HSE Making Every Contact Count programme, the HSE MECC Framework, training opportunities and support with MECC implementation go to www.makingeverycontactcount.ie or contact the MECC programme at [email protected]
