The Clear Conversations Project
NCT Number: NCT06508840
Status: RECRUITING
Study Type: OBSERVATIONAL
Conditions: COPD|Weight Loss
Interventions: OTHER: Verbal Health Literacy training session
Sponsor: University of Sheffield
Collaborators: Derbyshire Community Health Services NHS Foundation Trust|Debyshire County Council
Sex: ALL
Age: ADULT, OLDER_ADULT
Enrollment: 400
Study Design: Observational Model: |Time Perspective: p
Start Date: 2024-07-01
Completion Date: 2025-06-30
Locations: Derbyshire County Council, Matlock, Chesterfield, DE43AG, United Kingdom|Derbyshire Community Health Services NHSFT, Chesterfield, Derbyshire, S42 7JE, United Kingdom

Summary:
Understanding health information can be difficult. This means some people struggle to know how to manage their health. Also, people may not know what health services to use or when to use them. This can lead to poorer health.

It is therefore important health workers can communicate information clearly. This is so people using health services can understand it and know what to do. Having clear conversations with service users could help them to improve their health. More research is needed into this area. This is so we can understand and improve health conversations.

In this research project health workers will be provided with training. The training will teach them ways to improve their communication skills. Health workers will also receive support from a Health Literacy Officer. The Investigators want to see if this can improve service user outcomes and reduce health inequalities.

The investigators will ask health workers and service users from a Local Authority and an NHS service to take part. Service users will attend the health programmes as normal. Staff who have and have not received the training will deliver the programmes.

The investigators will ask service users to complete questionnaires. The investigators will also collect service user data from the programmes. This data will be collected before and after they attend. The investigators will compare this data with the previous year.

The investigators will observe health workers delivering the programmes. The investigators will use a check list to see how they use the skills they have learnt. The investigators will ask health workers to complete a questionnaire before and after they attend the training. The investigators will run focus groups with the health workers six months later. The investigators want to understand if the training was useful. The investigators also want to know if the health workers are using the skills they learnt in their practice.

Primary Outcome Measures: The Chronic Respiratory Disease Questionnaire (CDRQ), The CRQ is an interviewer-administered questionnaire measuring both physical and emotional aspects of chronic respiratory disease. The total score for the CRDQ ranges from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating better HRQOL, 0, 6 weeks|Weight in kilogrammes, Services attending the weight management programme will be weighed at the start and end of the programme, 0, 12, 26 weeks
Secondary Outcome Measures: The short Warwick and Edinburgh Mental Health and Well being Scale (weight management programme only), A 7 point scale to enable the monitoring of mental wellbeing in the general population and the evaluation of projects, programmes and policies which aim to improve mental wellbeing. The total score range for SWEMWBS is 7-35. A higher score indicating better HRQL., 0 and 12 weeks|Incremental shuttle walking test in meters (Pulmonary Rehab prgramme only), The patient is required to walk around two cones set 9 metres apart (so the final track is 10 metres) in time to a set of auditory beeps. The patient walks for as long as they can until they are either too breathless or can no longer keep up with the beeps, at which time the test ends., 0, 6 weeks|Lung Information Needs Questionnaire (LINQ) - pulmonary rehab programme, A brief questionnaire completed prior to the clinical encounter would assist health professionals identify areas of information need. The total score range is 0-25.A higher score indicates a greater need for information., 0, 6 weeks|Generalised Anxiety Disorder Assessment (GAD-7) - Pulmonary rehab programme, A self-administered patient questionnaire used as a screening tool and severity measure for generalised anxiety disorder. It measures severity of anxiety, mainly in outpatients.. The total score range is 0-21. A higher score indicating higher levels of anxiety., 0, 6 weeks|Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) - Pumonary rehab programme, a self-administered version of the PRIME-MD diagnostic instrument for common mental disorders.1 The PHQ-9 is the depression module, which scores each of the nine DSM-IV criteria as "0" (not at all) to "3" (nearly every day). It has been validated for use in primary care. The total score range is 0-27. A higher score indicating higher levels of depression., 0-6weeks