What does MECC mean in HEALTHCARE

Making Every Contact Count (MECC) is a public health strategy which encourages frontline health and social care workers to have meaningful conversations about health and lifestyle with their patients and clients. It emphasizes the importance of taking those opportunities to discuss important topics such as healthy eating, physical activity, smoking cessation or alcohol reduction during consultations.

Many illnesses, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease and certain forms of cancer are closely linked to unhealthy lifestyles. By promoting healthy behaviour among the public, healthcare professionals can help reduce the prevalence of these conditions and thus improve patient outcomes.

Making Every Contact Count is a concept which encourages healthcare professionals to use every conversation they have with their patients as an opportunity to promote health and well being. This includes taking advantage of each appointment as an opportunity to raise awareness about how lifestyle choices affect our overall wellbeing.

Healthcare workers can identify areas where a patient could benefit from making healthier lifestyle changes, such as encouraging them to take up exercise or eat more nutritious meals. They can also refer patients to services that might help them make positive changes or give advice on how they can modify their existing habits in order for them to lead healthier lives.

The primary stakeholders in Making Every Contact Count are frontline clinicians such as doctors, nurses and other health care professionals who interact with patients on a daily basis. Policy makers, local government authorities and charities are also involved in developing this initiative.

In order for you to effectively implement MECC approaches within your practice, it is important that you are trained in how best to communicate with your patients about these topics and understand the different techniques you could use when having conversations about health behaviours. There are several online courses available for practitioners who wish to learn more about this approach.

Yes, there is various published guidance available for GPs/clinicians who wish to apply MECC strategies in practice settings. This includes guidance on identifying behavioural risk factors among different populations or implementing peer-mentoring schemes into primary care settings.

Yes, there are numerous free resources designed specifically for helping healthcare professionals discuss important issues around health behaviours with their patients such as leaflets published by government initiatives or Eatwell Guide from Public Health England which provides advice on making healthy food choices.