Dr Emma Doherty

Issue addressed: The aim of this study was to assess potential barriers to the implementation of clinical guideline recommendations regarding maternal alcohol consumption by antenatal clinicians and managers. Methods: Cross-sectional surveys of antenatal clinicians and managers employed in a New South Wales Local Health District were undertaken. Survey items were developed based on 11 domains of the Theoretical Domains Framework. Consistent with previous studies, a cut point of less than 4 was applied to mean values of survey items (range: 1-5) to identify domains representing barriers to the implementation. Results: Thirty-three antenatal clinicians and eight managers completed the surveys. For clinicians, the domains with the lowest mean values included "environmental context and resources" (ie, complexity of appointments and availability of supporting systems) (mean: 3.13, SD: 0.93); "social influences" (ie, expectations of others that alcohol will be addressed) (mean: 3.33, SD: 0.68); "beliefs about capabilities" (ie, confidence in providing guideline recommendations) (mean: 3.51, SD: 0.67); and "behavioural regulation" (ie, planning and responding to feedback) (mean: 3.53, SD: 0.64). For managers, "emotion regulation" (ie, stress in managing change) (mean: 2.13, SD: 0.64) and "environmental context and resources" (ie, complexities of managing change) (mean: 3.13, SD: 0.83) were the lowest scoring domains. Conclusions: The antenatal service environment and availability of resources appear to be primary barriers to both clinicians and managers implementing guidelines for maternal alcohol consumption. So what?: In the development of interventions to support the delivery of clinical guideline recommendations addressing alcohol consumption during pregnancy, a broad range of potential barriers at both the clinician and manager levels need to be considered and targeted by effective implementation strategies.

Background: Preventive care for chronic disease risk behaviours by mental health clinicians is sub-optimal. Little research has examined the association between clinician attitudes and such care delivery. This study aimed to explore: i) the attitudes of a multi-disciplinary group of community mental health clinicians regarding their perceived role, perception of client interest, and perceived self-efficacy in the provision of preventive care, ii) whether such attitudes differ by professional discipline, and iii) the association between these attitudes and clinician provision of such care. Method: A telephone survey was conducted with 151 Australian community mental health clinicians regarding their attitudes towards provision of assessment, advice and referral addressing smoking, nutrition, alcohol, and physical activity, and their reported provision of such care. Logistic regression was used to examine the association between attitudes and care delivery, and attitudinal differences by professional discipline. Results: Most clinicians reported that: their manager supported provision of preventive care; such care was part of their role; it would not jeopardise their practitioner-client relationships, clients found preventive care acceptable, and that they had the confidence, knowledge and skills to modify client health behaviours. Half reported that clients were not interested in changing their health behaviours, and one third indicated that the provision of preventive care negatively impacted on time available for delivery of acute care. The following attitudes were positively associated with the provision of preventive care: role congruence, client interest in change, and addressing health risk behaviours will not jeopardise the client-clinician relationship. Conclusions: Strategies are required to translate positive attitudes to improved client care and address attitudes which may hinder the provision of preventive care in community mental health.

Introduction: People with substance use problems have a higher prevalence of modifiable health risk behaviors. Routine clinician provision of preventive care may be effective in reducing such health behaviors. This study aimed to examine clinician provision of preventive care to clients of community substance use treatment services. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was undertaken with 386 clients and 54 clinicians of community substance use treatment services in one health district in New South Wales, Australia. Client- and clinician-reported provision of three elements of care (assessment, brief advice and referral) for three health risk behaviors (tobacco smoking, insufficient fruit and/or vegetable consumption and insufficient physical activity) was assessed, with associations with client characteristics examined. Results: Provision was highest for tobacco smoking assessment (90% client reported, 87% clinician reported) and brief advice (79% client reported, 80% clinician reported) and lowest for fruit and vegetable consumption (assessment 23%, brief advice 25%). Few clients reported being offered a referral (<. 10%). Assessment of physical activity and brief advice for all behaviors was higher for clients residing in rural/remote areas. Conclusion: Assessment and brief advice were provided to the majority of clients for smoking, but sub-optimally for the other behaviors. Further investigation of barriers to the provision of preventive care within substance use treatment settings is required, particularly for referral to ongoing support.