Perceived impact of the characteristics of the Indigenous Queensland B.strong brief intervention training program on uptake and implementation

Issue addressed: Brief interventions (BIs) in primary health care (PHC) settings can be effective in addressing behavioural risk factors of chronic conditions. However, the impact of the characteristics of BI training programs on the uptake of the program and implementation of BIs in Indigenous PHC settings is not fully understood. The B.strong Program was an Indigenous health worker BI training program delivered in Queensland from 2017 to 2020. This study examines the impact of the characteristics of the B.strong Program on its uptake and implementation in PHC settings. 

Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted in 2019 and 2020 with 20 B.strong Program trainees and four health service managers from eight purposively sampled Queensland PHC services, and one Queensland Department of Health manager, to collect their perceptions of the implementation of the B.strong Program. The Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research guided data collection. 

Results: Key program characteristics that facilitated both the program uptake and the implementation of BIs were: ensuring the cultural appropriateness of the program from development, to engagement with health services and through to delivery, the applicability of the program to trainees’ daily clinical work, program credibility, and its ease of access and availability. Participants preferred face-to-face workshop training for online module training. 

Conclusions: Relevance to practice, easy access, program credibility and measures taken to ensure cultural appropriateness of the B.strong Program in development, in engagement stages with health services, and in program delivery facilitated program uptake and implementation of BIs. Online BI training may be of limited value compared to face-to-face training in this setting. 

So what?: To enhance participation by Indigenous PHC services in health worker BI training programs and implementation of BIs posttraining by health staff, it is important to ensure the cultural appropriateness of the program's characteristics, and its development, engagement and delivery processes.