Reorientation to more health promotion in health services – a study of barriers and possibilities from the perspective of health professionals

Abstract

Aim:The objective of this study is to analyze the commitment to a more health-promoting health service and to illuminate important barriers for having a health-promoting role in daily practice, among Swedish health care professionals.Material and method:Out of a total of 3751 health professionals who are working daytime in clinical practice in the province of Västerbotten, 1810 were invited to participate in a survey. The health professionals represented eight different occupational groups: counselors, dieticians, midwives, nurses, occupational therapists, physical therapists, psychologists, and physicians. A questionnaire that operationalized perceptions found in a previous qualitative study was mailed to residential addresses of the participants.Results:The majority believed that health services play a major role in long-term health development in the population and saw a need for health orientation as a strategy to provide more effective health care. Willingness to work more in health promotion and disease prevention was reported significantly more often by women than men, and by primary health care personnel compared to hospital personnel. Among the professional groups, psychologists, occupational therapists, and physiotherapists most frequently reported willingness. The most common barriers to health promotion roles in daily practice were reported to be heavy workload, lack of guidelines, and unclear objectives.Conclusions:This study found strong support for reorientation of health services in the incorporation of a greater health promotion. A number of professions that are not usually associated with health promotion practices are knowledgeable and wish to focus more on health promotion and disease prevention. Management has a major role in creating opportunities for these professionals to participate in health promotion practices. Men and physicians reported less positive attitudes to a more health-promoting health service and often possess high positions of power. Therefore, they may play an important role in the process of change toward more health promotion in health services.

The Prevalence and Correlates of Eating Between Meals in a Cross-Sectional Study of a Health Oriented Adult Population

“…These particularities of the participants to Health-Expo campaigns were observed at other similar events organized in several cities of Romania [13,27]. These disproportionalities are very likely a result of self-selection and might be attributed to a heightened interest of women and the elderly toward their health status [28][29][30]. Supposedly, other factors specific to the elderly, such as the availability of free time and a stronger need for socialization might explain their overrepresentation in the studied sample.…”

Lifestyle counseling in primary care in the United States and Sweden: a comparison of patients’ expectations and experiences

“…This fact may partially explain why Swedish doctors initiate fewer discussions about lifestyle. A Swedish survey showed that among primary care personnel, 69% stated that health services should make prevention the priority rather than treatments, and 60% reported willingness to do more health promotion and disease prevention [27]. However, the same study also revealed that 87% of the primary care personnel experienced heavy workload/lack of time as a core constraint for health promotion and disease prevention in practice.…”

Occupational therapists as contributors to health promotion

“…They complained that the public, their collaborators from other fields and public officials are all unaware of their competencies in health promotion. Johansson et al (23) have observed that some professions, among them occupational therapists, are not usually associated with health promotion, even though they have the knowledge and desire to focus on it more intensively. The same authors state that officials have a responsibility to utilize the knowledge of these professionals and facilitate their participation in health promotion work (23).…”

“…Johansson et al (23,24) identified heavy workloads, lack of guidelines and unclear objectives as significant obstacles for OTs and other health professionals to broaden the role of health promotion in the health service. The authors also found that the understanding of holism in health seems to be there.…”