A Healthy CHAT
Healthy CHAT / Section One: Introduction
Supporting change through Healthy CHAT
Healthy CHAT aims to raise awareness of and assess a person’s willingness to engage in further discussion about healthy lifestyle choices.
- It is usually given opportunistically and may be linked to the reason why the person has come to see you (but not always).
- Is part of service delivery during routine day-to-day contact. REF
- It is informal and is more about conveying basic health messages and knowing where to refer people for further support. REF
A Healthy CHAT should take no more than 3-5 minutes and broadly follows this structure:
Section Two of this learning module goes through the elements of Healthy CHAT in detail.
Healthy CHAT has been co-designed with consumers of community health services and healthcare workers to ensure it is appropriate and relevant for the Australian community.
The key principles of a Healthy CHAT are:
Healthcare Worker
“I make sure that any Healthy CHATs I have with people are person-centred around their needs.”
Person
“I am more likely to listen to healthcare workers who have good communication skills and don’t use medical jargon.”
Healthcare Worker
“I try to be opportunistic; Healthy CHATs can take place anytime I have contact with a person accessing my service.”
Healthcare Worker
“I can use Healthy CHAT with most people I see, as the advice I give is simple and not discipline-specific.”
Healthcare Worker
“It’s important to me that the advice I give is evidence-based.”
Person
“I really notice when healthcare workers listen to me and respect my decision not to change.”
