ArticleBMC family practice2015
Patients' willingness to attend the NHS cardiovascular health checks in primary care: a qualitative interview study.
Article in BMC family practice, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 24 papers, 6 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
24 citing papers in PubMed, 6 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Stakeholders' perceptions and experiences of factors influencing the commissioning, delivery, and uptake of general health checks: a qualitative evidence synthesis.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2025Pooled it
- Influences on NHS Health Check behaviours: a systematic review.BMC public health · 2020Pooled it
- A systematic review of factors influencing NHS health check uptake: invitation methods, patient characteristics, and the impact of interventions.BMC public health · 2020Pooled it
- Barriers and facilitators to participation in a health check for cardiometabolic diseases in primary care: A systematic review.European journal of preventive cardiology · 2018Pooled it
- Reasons why people do not attend NHS Health Checks: a systematic review and qualitative synthesis.The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners · 2018Pooled it
- Patient experience of NHS health checks: a systematic review and qualitative synthesis.BMJ open · 2017Pooled it
- Applying behavioural science to increase uptake of the NHS Health Check: a randomised controlled trial of gain- and loss-framed messaging in the national patient information leaflet.BMC public health · 2019Trial
- Evaluating the effectiveness of the NHS Health Check programme in South England: a quasi-randomised controlled trial.BMJ open · 2019Trial
- Improving cardiovascular disease risk communication in NHS Health Checks: a qualitative study.BMJ open · 2019Trial
- Article
- Under-utilisation of noncommunicable disease screening and healthy lifestyle promotion centres: A cross-sectional study from Sri Lanka.PloS one · 2024Article
- Article
- Community Health Worker-Led Cardiovascular Disease Risk Screening and Referral for Care and Further Management in Rural and Urban Communities in Rwanda.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2023Article
- Inter-arm blood pressure difference and cardiovascular risk estimation in primary care: a pilot study.BJGP open · 2022Article
- Non-participation in a targeted prevention program aimed at lifestyle-related diseases: a questionnaire-based assessment of patient-reported reasons.BMC public health · 2022Article
- Unwillingness to participate in health checks for cardiometabolic diseases: A survey among primary health care patients in five European countries.Health science reports · 2021Article
- Involving people with type 2 diabetes in facilitating participation in a cardiovascular screening programme.Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy · 2021Article
- Mapping non-response in a prevention program for cardiometabolic diseases in primary care: How to improve participation?Preventive medicine reports · 2020Article
- Engagement with advice to reduce cardiovascular risk following a health check programme: A qualitative study.Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy · 2020Article
- Participants' expectations and experiences with periodic health examinations in Austria - a qualitative study.BMC health services research · 2018Article
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Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThe NHS Cardiovascular Health Check (NHSHC) programme was introduced in England in 2009 to reduce cardiovascular disease mortality and morbidity for all patients aged 40 to 74 years old. Programme cost-effectiveness was based on an assumed uptake of 75% but current estimates of uptake in primary care are less than 50%. The purpose of this study was to identify factors influencing patients' willingness to attend an NHSHC. For those who attended, their views, experiences and their future willingness to engage in the programme were explored.
methodTelephone or face-to-face interviews were conducted with patients who had recently been invited for an NHSHC by a letter from four general practices in Torbay, England. Patients were purposefully sampled (by gender, age, attendance status). Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed thematically.
results17 attendees and 10 non-attendees were interviewed. Patients who attended an NHSHC viewed it as worthwhile. Proactive attitudes towards their health, a desire to prevent disease before they developed symptoms, and a willingness to accept screening and health check invitations motivated many individuals to attend. Non-attendees cited not seeing the NHSHC as a priority, or how it differed from regular monitoring already received for other conditions as barriers to attendance. Some non-attendees actively avoided GP practices when feeling well, while others did not want to waste health professionals' time. Misunderstandings of what the NHSHC involved and negative views of what the likely outcome might be were common.
conclusionWhile a minority of non-attendees simply had made an informed choice not to have an NHSHC, improving the clarity and brevity of invitational materials, better advertising, and simple administrative interventions such as sending reminder letters, have considerable potential to improve NHSHC uptake.
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