MHPP - PACAP version number 1.0
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Evaluation of the Public Health England funded Physical Activity Clinical Advice Pad
IRAS ID
236928
Contact name
Rob Copeland
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Sheffield Hallam University
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 7 months, 11 days
Research summary
Physical activity (PA) has beneficial effects on numerous health outcomes. Data from Sport England's Active Lives Survey (2017) suggests 40% of adults in England do not meet the PA guidelines. Healthcare professionals (HCP) are uniquely placed to advise and support their patients to become more physically active. One in four adults say they would be more physically active if they were advised by a doctor or nurse but as many as 72% of GPs do not discuss the benefits of PA with their patients. Public Health England (PHE) and Sport England (SE) have developed a Physical Activity Clinical Advice Pad (PACAP) that will be piloted by ten local authority (LA) and clinical commissioning group (CCG) partnerships across England (Cornwall, Hertfordshire, Rotherham, Southwark, Suffolk, Shropshire, Worcestershire, Hull, Wigan and Stockport). The programme aims to increase the number of HCPs in England who integrate brief advice on PA into their routine clinical practice. The PACAP builds on research and evidence that suggests written, prescription style advice signed by a HCP and tailored to the patients’ specific condition can be a useful aide to promoting PA. Sheffield Hallam University (SHU) are working with PHE and SE as the academic partner leading the research to evaluate the PACAP pilot.
The overall aim of the evaluation of the PACAP pilot is to explore the extent to which the social marketing based PACAP supports clinicians to have positive conversations about PA in their routine clinical practice. Data will be gathered using interviews and questionnaires. The evaluation will be conducted in three stages. 1) Baseline: survey (HCPs); 2) Midway process evaluation: telephone interviews (HCPs) and audit of prescription pad; 3) Post-pilot: survey (HCPs and patients), telephone interviews (patients), face-to-face interviews (HCPs) and audit of the prescription pad.REC name
North West - Preston Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
18/NW/0117
Date of REC Opinion
7 Mar 2018
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion