Improving health care through professional behaviour change: introducing a framework for identifying behaviour change strategies

Abstract

The drive towards clinical effectiveness and cost‐effective care within the NHS is becoming increasingly apparent. Consequently, there is a need to change clinical practice, and a set of activities with which to implement the necessary and desirable changes is required. Resistance to accepting change at an individual and organisational level is common and it is postulated that the solution lies in adopting an eclectic approach where the range of factors affecting the implementation of change is considered. A possible framework for identifying suitable behaviour change strategies is proposed. Factors included are the context of change, the relevant theoretical and empirical literature and the implementation and maintenance of change. With practical application in mind, the framework is intended as a tool to assist health care professionals analyse the change process in a structured manner and develop potential strategies for achieving desirable behaviour changes within their own and others’ practice.

Citation

Ashford, J., Eccles, M., Bond, S., Hall, J.A. and Bond, J. (1999), "Improving health care through professional behaviour change: introducing a framework for identifying behaviour change strategies", British Journal of Clinical Governance, Vol. 4 No. 1, pp. 14-23. https://doi.org/10.1108/14664109910297146