Health checks in general practice: the patient's response

Area of Science:

• General Practice
• Preventive Healthcare
• Health Services Research

Background:

• The new General Practitioner (GP) contract has led to an increased offering of health checks in primary care settings.
• Assessing patient response to these expanded health check services is crucial for optimizing their effectiveness and uptake.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate patient responses to health checks offered in general practice.
• To determine the impact of different invitation letter formats and feedback methods on service uptake and patient satisfaction.
• To investigate changes in patients' health beliefs following a health check.

Main Methods:

• A study conducted in a single general practice involving 872 patients aged 30-41.
• Assessment of various invitation letter types and feedback mechanisms for health checks.
• Measurement of service uptake, patient satisfaction, and changes in health beliefs.

Main Results:

• Health check attendance was nearly double when invitation letters included a specific appointment compared to an open invitation.
• Patients reported high satisfaction with both invitation letters and the information received during health checks.
• Health checks were associated with an increased belief in the importance of health professionals for maintaining health.

Conclusions:

• Patient response to general practice health checks is largely positive.
• Optimizing invitation strategies, such as providing specific appointments, can enhance service uptake.
• Health checks may play a role in promoting future engagement with preventive services and adherence to medical advice.