Implementation of a SNAP intervention in two divisions of general practice: a feasibility study
Date
Authors
Harris, Mark
Hobbs, Coletta
Powell Davies, Gawaine
Simpson, Sarah
Bernard, Diana
Stubbs, Anthony
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Medical Journal of Australia
Abstract
Smoking, poor nutrition, risky alcohol consumption and
decreased physical activity are major contributors to the
burden of chronic disease in Australia.1 The 2003–04
BEACH (Bettering the Evaluation and Care of Health) report found
that 34.5% of general practice encounters were with patients who
were overweight, 22% with those who were obese, 26.7% with
those who drank alcohol at risky levels and 21.9% with those who
smoked.2 Although certain interventions have been shown to be
effective in addressing these risk factors in general practice,3-6 few
encounters involved risk-factor intervention, signifying an important
gap between opportunity and practice.7,8
In 2003, the Australian Government developed a strategic
framework for addressing smoking, nutrition, alcohol and physical
activity (“SNAP”)9 in general practice. The 2002–03 Annual survey
of divisions of general practice showed that more than half the
divisions of general practice (DGPs) had programs focused on one
or more of the SNAP risk factors.10 However, although there are
national programs for chronic diseases such as diabetes, no specific
national SNAP initiative has been established and there have been
no published studies of its implementation in Australia.
In 2003 and 2004, NSW Health funded a feasibility study on the
SNAP approach to behavioural risk factor management in one
urban and one rural DGP. The objectives were:
• to test the feasibility and cost of a DGP program to support
practices to systematically provide behavioural interventions for
patients with SNAP risk factors in general practice;
• to determine any change in the capacity and self-reported care
provided by general practices; and
• to identify lessons for other DGPs and for implementing the
SNAP framework.
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General medicine
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Medical Journal of Australia
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Journal article
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