Enhancing Existing Communication Channels for Large-Scale Health Interventions: Making Every Contact Count in the United Kingdom

Abstract

This case investigates a large-scale health intervention (Making Every Contact Count) developed in the City of Salford, UK, and which has since been implemented in many other parts of the country. The intervention encourages Salford residents to make healthier lifestyle choices by training frontline staff, particularly those in the health industry, to have conversations with clients about their health and wellbeing. To ensure these brief conversations are meaningful, a training program called Making Every Contact Count (MECC) has been developed and implemented. The program covered interpersonal and communication skills, basic behavior change theories, issues related to wellbeing, and how to access local services. By using communication channels that already exist, MECC was able to increase the efficiency of health guidance without exhausting limited public sector resources.