Physicians’ health practices strongly influence patient health practices

• DOI: 10.4997/jrcpe.2009.422
• Publication Date: 2009-12-10T15:38:34Z
• Authors: EB Oberg; E Frank
• Keywords: Promotion (chess); Affect

Physicians who practise healthy habits play a key role by helping their patients to adopt lifestyles for primary prevention of chronic diseases. The health general practitioners (GPs) is important because they serve as models and are more likely counsel about behaviour change if themselves. One the strongest predictors promotion counselling care physicians practising healthful oneself – it clear that many report difficulty behaviours themselves do not practise.1,2

Health providers effective than outsourcing specialist or coach, in part view GPs most trusted source information. Since advisors often meet with during potentially impressionable times, own may affect ability engage behaviours.3 In fact, majority people cite physician information regarding lifestyle decisions when recommends it.4

Currently, UK spending an average 16% practice time on prevention, 79% educating risk ‘most’ ‘all time’.5 This superior US estimates but still optimal. Data from 2000 National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey revealed only 15.7% office visits included diet, physical activity stress reduction.6 While this worryingly low, barriers increasing rates significant. identified barrier greater struggle themselves.2 Combined other main lack time7 raises concerns new 48-hour working week limitations, these changes both personal professional activities. It was recently determined provider would need 7.4 hours each day order all preventive services' recommendations exclusive disease states!8 Clearly, will provide optimal care, unless additional healthcare delivery system made.

Yet findings also underscore importance GPs' influence behaviours, ‘practising what we preach’ be efficient strategy increase activities among patients. Practising strongly correlated behaviour.1 holds true regardless provider's actual status. were attempting improve poor counselled significantly trying behaviour.9 Correlations between practices have been found consistently across topics.1,10 For topics ranging dietary fat intake, sunscreen use, mammography screening, activity, smoking, alcohol use others, demonstrated strong personal–clinical correlations. impact has observational conditions medical students standardised patient models: even just being encouraged increases students' counselling.11

Importantly busy GPs, simply talking your improves delivery. Providers disclose perceived credible motivating.3 shown others well: become receptive demonstrate themselves.12 Kreuter et al. discussed patients, had already received printed materials same topic, those directly 35–55% quit make diet begin exercising compared literature encouraging thing.13

Rates can increased through provider-centred promotion. our four-year controlled trial addressed over course school, student made improvements practices, self-reported improved well. By senior year, control males reported twice tobacco intervention (43% vs 22%, p=0.02), although previously very similar levels (31% 29%, p=0.8). Diet exercise positively related intervention, inversely showed modest effect.14

Physicians patients' them health-promoting behaviours. Physician one's so addressing providers' substantially practice. benefit interventions help healthier health, entire population, which profit counselling.