How prepared are GPs to support local salon staff to promote heart health and increase uptake of cardiovascular disease screening among women in London’s deprived and ethnically diverse neighbourhoods? An evaluation of GP training.
Problem
Women from ethnic minority and socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds have a disproportionally higher prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors, and lower rates of participation in screening services. Hairdressing salons are trusted community assets, where women may frequent, network, and engage in meaningful discussion about their health and wellbeing. Similar approaches with hairdressing and beauty salons in the US have been successfully used for cardiovascular health promotion training in the United States.
Approach
The BEauty and health community LOuNGes (BELONG) study is exploring the feasibility of recruiting, training and retaining hairdressers in salons, supported by healthcare professionals at local GP practices in a novel health delivery partnership, to engage in health conversations that promote the uptake of NHS Health Checks in women in ethnically diverse neighbourhoods.
An online training programme was designed for practice staff from three agreeing GP practices (from 4 selected) in South London, covering three main topic areas: (1) details of the BELONG project, (2) practical ways that GPs can support community salons, and (3) relevant concepts such as cultural competence and cultural safety, and their relevance to the supportive role.
We will evaluate the training to determine their preparedness to take on this supportive role and identify potential factors that may limit development and sustainability of salon-primary care collaborations through: i) an Online survey, ii) Focus group discussions and iii) in-depth interviews targeting primary care stakeholders, including general practitioners, allied healthcare professionals and administrative staff. Interviews will be transcribed and analysed using reflexive thematic analyses to identify emerging key themes.
Findings
We will report on the views and experiences of participating GP staff, examining their perceptions of cultural safety, competing priorities, community referral and follow-up pathways, and other governance or practical issues that could affect the sustainability of this partnership. The results will highlight the key barriers and enablers for salons and neighbouring GPs to jointly deliver a culturally accessible CVD prevention service model.
Consequences
Establishing partnerships between health and community systems provides the potential for effective, equitable and efficient services that benefit patient access. Hairdressing salons are a powerful community asset and a partnership with GP practices could facilitate CVD prevention services with equitable reach.
Understanding the capacity for GP practices to undertake additional health promotion roles within their local communities, and factors that may affect their willingness to do so, is also pertinent to understanding the wider challenges of primary care.