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Table 3 Illustrative quotes of healthcare professional views

From: Incorporating a brief intervention for personalised cancer risk assessment to promote behaviour change into primary care: a multi-methods pilot study

Qualitative theme

Illustrative quotes

Delivery of the intervention

“I think because initially you tell them, it’s not them, it’s people like them, they take that nicer than if you said this is your risk of cancer, so yeah, a lot better than I ever thought that they would ever accept that risk” HCP 2

Patient engagement

“It was good to share the information and to be able to actually see it on the screen. The patients appreciated being able to see everything and being able to change different bits to show them how their risk was going to change” HCP 3

It’s nice to both sit there together and share the screen, sort of discuss what we could see” HCP 1

Behaviour changes

“It seemed to ping in their heads and they thought, “actually no, I can do this and there’s a good reason for doing it”, which with years of talking to them about diabetes I haven’t noticed that reaction so quickly.” HCP 6

“We had a patient that within one of those health checks we did, that actually gave up smoking. I gave them an inhalator in the consultation, and I’ve seen them since and they’ve actually quit smoking” HCP 2

“I think it is a good backup. I think something written is always good as what you say in your consultation they don’t always remember. So even if it is just a case of the front page and starring “quitting smoking” and “reducing alcohol” then it is something for them to go back to. Or if it was someone else asked them they would get it out and produce it” HCP 7

“I think when you tell people about cardiovascular health and then you explain it’s about heart attacks and strokes, I don’t think they necessarily take that on board as much because they assume it’s the people who smoke and drink. So they just brush over the cardiovascular and then when you go into cancer, they go right okay, and they sit up and pay attention” HCP 2

Implementation into normal practice

“I found it worked really well, and I also felt that actually it really enhanced what you were doing with the diabetes” HCP 6

“Because the patients (diabetics), they really want to know about their sugar and their cholesterol, or the management of the blood sugars and treatment. So I think you’d have to introduce that (intervention) at the beginning of the consultation.” HCP 4

“…pulling it out of thin air would be scary but I think if you’re putting it in context with something else, you can get away with it. So if it’s within a different type of check that they’re having, I don’t know COPD or for something else” HCP 2

“So, when you talk about alcohol, it would sort of incorporate both the Health Check and the cancer part of it. It would be nice if it flowed more in that way, because you’re saying one minute that this is what you can drink is okay for the NHS Health Check, but actually this (intervention) is saying ideally you wouldn’t be drinking (alcohol)” HCP 1

“I think it does separate it a little bit. I suppose if it was integrated into the actual template and health check, if they could be done in some way, then perhaps that would be easier” HCP 4

Risk presentation

“I think the colours work more than the numbers to be honest. Yes, if you see red you think “right ok I’m in trouble and need to do something here” HCP 7

“I think the patients just go “Oh that’s alright then, it’s only one of 2 %”, even it’s red on the picture and you’re trying to say that you need to work on it. When you get the percentages up, they’re like, “Ah, I’m not worried”. HCP 1