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Make every contact count by opportunistically asking about behavioural risk factors for CHD

  • Making Every Contact Count (MECC) is an all-Wales approach to behaviour change, utilising day-to-day interactions, to support people to make positive changes that improve their physical and mental health and well-being.  
  • Consider encouraging practice staff to acquire MECC skills. For MECC e-learning (to level 1), see here  [ESR or other login/ registration required]. For MECC training contacts by health board, see here [intranet].  
  • Brief intervention by staff in regular contact with people who could use some support to make informed choices is promoted by NICE guidance (PH49).  
  • Utilise opportunities to discuss and address smoking (BRF-001), unhealthy diet (BRF-002), physical inactivity (BRF-003) and alcohol misuse (BRF-004).  
  • The importance of reducing behavioural risk factors is reiterated in the Heart conditions delivery plan (WG 2017), which recommends using every opportunity to promote [behavioural risk reduction] and smoking cessation, and advocates interventions within targeted age groups to increase participation in physical activity/ considering a settings approach, as well as reducing alcohol consumption/ binge drinking.