PARTNERS Project: Development and implementation of a digital tool for multisectoralsupport and management of long-term condition
PARTNERS Project: Development and implementation of a digital tool for multisectoralsupport and management of long-term condition
Principal Investigator: Professor Mari-Carmen Portillo
Co Applicants: Line Bragstad, Dr Dorit Kunkel, Dr Kat Bradbury, Dr Lindsay Welch, Hayden Kirk, Dr Caroline Barker, Sandra Bartolomeu Pires, Christopher Edwards, Lindsay Cherry, Francesca White, Caroline Aylott, Cathal Doyle.
Partners: University of Southampton, University of Oslo, Solent NHS Trust, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Hampshire and Isle of Wight ICS, Versus Arthritis, and Parkinson’s UK.
Lay Summary
Background to the research: Self-management is an approach to help people with long term conditions manage their health daily. Existing NHS self-management tools focus on healthcare (medication management, appointments) and fail to capture aspects of how people live with and adjust to long-term conditions. This includes social support (family/friends) and other resources and networks available like the voluntary sector, industry and community groups.We have created an intervention (an action to improve a situation or prevent it getting worse) to support self-management for people with Parkinson’s Disease and their family/carers. This intervention recognises the role of social support, voluntary sector, industry, and community groups in adjusting to living with a condition. Our next step is toadapt this intervention to the needs of people living with other conditions like Arthritis and for those living with more than one condition and create a digital tool.
Aim of the research: To develop, implement and evaluate a digital tool that supports the management of people with Parkinson’s Disease and/or Arthritis. The tool will support professionals and other organisations to connect, share resources and optimise communication and referrals, leading to more personalised and cost-effective use of resources (beyond healthcare) in the community.
Design and methods: The research will take place in community settings in Wessex. We will prioritise disadvantaged groups (those less comfortable using technology and less able toaccess available resources and support). We will: 1. Work with our patient and public involvement (PPI) representatives, relevant voluntary organisations, health and social care providers, and key people involved in policy making and NHS strategy. They will have a voice ineach decision to ensure our tool is relevant and acceptable to those using it. 2. Host discussion groups with people with Parkinson’s Disease and/or Arthritis and theirfamily/carers to understand the positive and negative aspects of existing digital tools, from a patient perspective. 3. Design our self-management tool. 4. Test the tool through two primary care surgeries (GP) and voluntary organisations (Parkinson’s UK and Versus Arthritis).Testing will help understand how the tool is used and what helps or hinders its success.
Deliverables: The research will generate: a digital tool to support more effective self-management of Parkinson’s Disease and/or Arthritis, recommendations for policy development, evidence for how to improve NHS services. Public Patient Involvement: We willwork with people with Parkinson’s Disease and/or Arthritis and their families/carers. We will work together as equal partners to define their level of involvement, roles, methods to input and training needs. We will also explore what works best or what we should do differently intheir involvement.
Dissemination: We will share our learning across the different groups involved. This will include presentations, policy briefings, newsletters, and public events.