Assessing potential local routine monitoring indicators of reach for the XXXX health checks programme.

@entity101 @entity9462 @entity65 @entity6
OBJECTIVES: Success in reaching target populations is an important factor in determining the impact of public health programmes. The @entity9462 Health Check (NHSHC) Programme is directed towards reducing excess cardiovascular mortality in England. As the programme is locally commissioned, local monitoring of programme reach is essential. This study aimed to assess indicators of programme reach available to local service commissioners. STUDY DESIGN: Ecological. METHODS: The programme reach of NHSHC was assessed in three health districts in the North East of England. Local data returned from GP practices to commissioners on their NHSHC activities was collated for the period October 2010 to March 2013 together with related national published data. Three candidate indicators were chosen and the association between each of these and NHSHCs at GP practice level was examined by univariate logistic regression. RESULTS: Data were available from 101  GP practices, together undertaking almost 20,000 health checks a year. Number of NHSHCs by practices explained most (77-92%) of the variance the numbers identified at high risk of @entity65 (two for every ten NHSHCs). NHSHCs were not associated with growth in GP practice disease registers for either @entity6 or @entity101 . NHSCHs predicted practices identification of new cases of @entity101 (with one case identified for every ten checks), albeit the proportion of variation explained was much more variable (2-60%) less consistent effect. CONCLUSIONS: Data routinely available to NHSHC commissioners can support monitoring programme reach, with numbers of new cases of @entity101 being the most promising indicator of reach.
