Service Users Questionnaire

Earlier this year we sent out a questionnaire to our service users for their feedback and comments on our group meetings. Below is a video with some of their feedback and what we have delivered in 2021-22.

Webinars

Our lead trainer Phil Sizer has put together a couple of webinars on pacing and boom bust.

Self-Management Courses for Chronic Pain

Overall outcomes for all Courses 2020-2021

This report provides evaluation results from 29 Self-Management courses for Chronic Pain delivered in a slightly different way during the 2020-21 financial year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The courses were delivered on-line for people throughout Scotland in order to ensure an equitable service was delivered during such challenging times. The report gives a description, background and rationale of the service followed by combined results from the courses. Conclusions and a summary are provided at the end of the report.

Evaluation of Self-Management for Carers’

Pain Association Scotland provides specialist education, training and support in the self-management of Chronic Pain. The organisation has developed expertise in an effective interactive approach, which treats the individual as a person rather than as a patient. This approach helps to engage the individual in the principles of self-management and motivates them to adopt new ways of thinking based on a better understanding of their health and the options available to them.

Chronic pain is a major personal, social and economic issue.  For the majority of those suffering from chronic pain, it is not about the length of time they have had the pain, it’s about the loss of function, loss of identity, loss of mental health and indeed for many, a loss of hope. (Eccleston, 2011, 2016). 1

The bigger picture of chronic pain is quite often forgotten such as direct costs associated with chronic pain.  Such costs are mostly hospitalisation and outpatient care, medication and equipment to improve activities of daily living.  Indirect societal costs are dominated by social benefits, unemployment benefits, sick leave, productivity losses, absenteeism and early disability retirement – quite often for those who are to become carers too. (Nielsen, 2013; Valentin et al, 2016).2

Objectives

Our intention was to provide face-to-face supported self-management sessions for carers’.  However, due to COVID-19 these were not able to take place face-to-face.  Naturally we did not want to withdraw a service that had been promised to people, especially when so many other key services were being withdrawn so we decided to carry out this course via Zoom.

This meant that participants could benefit from the all-important social interaction at a time when lockdown meant this was severely limited.  It also ensured that, unlike many other on-line support tools, people were able to benefit from a trainer in person on the zoom call, rather than receiving written feedback or following a pre-established protocol.

In order to reach a wider audience we collaborated with Perth and Kinross Carers’ Hub and the Transforming Tayside Pain Pathway Lead at Perth Royal Infirmary to advertise the course and also refer people to.  We also invited healthcare professionals dealing with carers’ to attend the course so that they would be better placed to understand them and the difficulties they face.

All those attended came to the course with different circumstances and experiences, also expectations.  It was interesting to see how some explanations of managing pain appealed and resonated with some and encouraged discussion resulting in a fuller understanding for all attending.

As the course was led by discussion from the attendees, it seemed that communication difficulties and dealing with anxiety and stress on the part of both carer and cared for, proved to be one of the most valuable learning points.  Through zoom tools, simple diagrams brought to life the themes in away that makes sense to the non-scientific mind.

Outcomes and Anecdotal comments

Many of the attendees were rather sad that the course had come to an end.  It also came as a surprise to some carers’ that it was important that they looked after themselves.

Key facts:

•     At total of 11 people attended the course.

•     At the end of the course, for all those who required additional support, we provided some 1:1 sessions over the phone. 

•     We followed up the sessions by emailing all participants with the whiteboard illustrations and additional supporting handouts.

•     We uploaded some relaxation sessions onto the website via MP3 which are free to download.

•     For all those who were unable to join the course due to technology issues etc, we will be running another course face-to-face in October 2020.  However, in the meantime we have provided supporting handouts to them in order to ensure they had some support during these difficult, challenging times.

Reflections

•  A new course in a new format due to COVID-19 lockdown

• Opened up to a national audience given the current challenges for all

• High level of interaction on a digital platform

• Everyone had take-home messages from each session which they acted upon

• Healthcare professionals have expressed the value of the insights gained into understanding chronic pain and how to communicate complex ideas effectively

• Formula for the course – interactive, flexible, co-created, friendly, effective.

References

 1 Eccleston C, A normal psychology of chronic pain.  The Psychologist 2011:26(6): 422-5

 2 Nielsen, C.S. (2013). Chronic pain is strongly associated with work disability.  Scand J Pain,

 Acknowledgements

We acknowledge the valuable support of the following people that helped with funding towards this project:

• The alliance

• The National Lottery Community Fund

• Perth and Kinross Community Council Investment Fund 

Health Care Professionals Videos