The OXCHECK Study: a nursing perspective. Oxford and Collaborators Health Check

The Oxford and Collaborators Health CHECK Trial (OXCHECK) was a randomized controlled trial of the effectiveness of nurse-administered health checks in the general practice setting. It was designed primarily to influence risk factors for cardiovascular disease and cancer. The fourth and final year has now been completed, and the data analysis on over 8,100 health checks is under way. The findings from Year I have not been very encouraging in terms of lifestyle changes in moderate risk groups. This article briefly describes the design and methodology of the project, but mainly focuses on the practical issues involved in performing the health checks and on how the nurses and patients have felt about participating in the project. Much has happened to general practice, health promotion and the economy since the inception of OXCHECK in 1988. The OXCHECK nurses have experienced a variety of responses and attitudes from patients. These are significant insomuch as they may provide a rationale for designing alternative methods of assessing lifestyle change and individuals' perception of risk. The importance of providing a strong link between the academic department involved in the project and the local clinical practices will be discussed in the context of other key facilitating roles. However, the appropriateness of promoting certain preventive measures in the general practice setting can also be questioned.