Primary care discussion of cancer risk to support behaviour change
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Is discussion of cancer risk helpful for supporting health behaviour change in primary care? A qualitative study
IRAS ID
253722
Contact name
David N. Blane
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 6 months, 2 days
Research summary
The aim of this research is to explore the views and experiences of primary care practitioners (GPs and practice nurses) and patients in relation to cancer prevention and cancer risk information sharing in primary care, focused on the main modifiable risk factors of smoking, obesity, alcohol and physical inactivity.\nIn the UK, nearly 600,000 cancer cases could have been avoided in the last five years if people had healthier lifestyles. Primary care has great potential to improve cancer prevention by supporting health behaviour change related to these risk factors. There is growing interest, therefore, in the use of cancer risk tools in primary care but questions remain as to what works for whom, in what circumstances and why. Specifically, it is not clear how best to incorporate cancer risk information into primary care consultations, in terms of timing, content, and professionals involved, or what the unintended consequences might be. This research will explore these issues using semi-structured qualitative interviews with a sample of approximately 10-14 practitioners and 14-20 patients. The findings will inform the future use of cancer risk information tools in primary care.
REC name
North of Scotland Research Ethics Committee 1
REC reference
18/NS/0123
Date of REC Opinion
29 Oct 2018
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion