Self-Management Support - another misconception...

I recently heard this when telling a clinician that my interest was in self-management...

"The trouble is that there are those patients who do it all already anyway and then those patients who just never will..." 

I couldn't disagree with this statement in principle (there are people at both ends of the self-management spectrum), but when shared as an argument not to engage in supporting self-management (as it was used), it couldn't be more floored.

Lets break this down...

Co-delivered #meded with technology - a joint blog with @TrevorKet

There is a drive in healthcare education to use technology and involve patients and service users in teaching sessions. Combining these two important agendas, I collaborated with a healthcare sciences lecturer, Trevor Kettle (@TrevorKet). to co-deliver two teaching sessions using the Meetoo app (and Skype). This a blog of two halves, with my reflections and Trevor's reflections (so do make sure you read both bits!)

These were students on two different courses at the Faculty of Health Sciences at Southampton University – both post-graduate, qualified health and social care professionals. The sessions were both 1.5 hours, and the first was co-delivered in person, while the second was co-delivered with Trevor Kettle in the room, and me Skyping in. 

The Meetoo App is a platform for real-time polling and discussion that allows students to share their thoughts and reflections, opinions and ask questions.

This blog is a collection of reflections on these experiences. These are twofold:

-       the process of using technology and collaborative teaching as a process to educate

-       the content of the conversation we had with the students.

Underpinning all of this was a strong equal partnership to co-produce the teaching sessions, the content and process between Trevor Kettle and myself – for which I am very grateful. Far from being onerous, this collaboration to coproduce the two teaching sessions required only a preliminary Skype meeting of about an hour and one or two iterations of the PowerPoint slides being shared via email. We had a short reflective debrief afterwards. Trevor’s perspective on it all in included below...

Learning from Dorset CCG for the STPs

Despite all my complaints as a teenager to the contrary, Dorset is quite forward thinking, and it has demonstrated this in its approach to transformation in the local NHS. In mid-2014, the Dorset Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) decided to take pre-emptive action to maintain health and wellbeing, quality services and to avoid a looming gap in local NHS finances and began a Clinical Services Review (CSR). With the aim of supporting people in Dorset to lead healthier lives, Dorset CCG recognized that significant, meaningful and effective engagement and involvement with local people who use services was essential. As with any project on this scale, engagement and involvement needs to be multifaceted. I was most involved in one these facets, as Chair of the Patient, (Carer) and Public Engagement Group (PPEG).

As the national conversation moves apace around Sustainability and Transformation Plans (STPs) and calls for engagement, involvement and coproduction grow louder, I wanted to share our learning in this context. We didn't get everything right, but I am really proud of the impact of the PPEG.

Me, my identity and I

This blog comes from the reflections from a lecture I delivered earlier this week to medical students. I didn’t feel it went very well, and while reflecting on it on the train home, I wanted to blog to clarify my thoughts on it, and prove to myself (I hope) that I can be articulate and clear!

When medications are necessary but not sufficient…

I love the question “I’m really interested to hear what things you have been doing or have tried already to manage your [symptom]?”

I always share it with medical students when I am lecturing, and use it a lot in my role as a self-management coach, when supporting individuals. But recently, the answers I have received in conversations locally have made me question our approach and thinking as a system to managing pain. It was summed up for me in a conversation I had with someone who wanted to manage their pain better. I asked what they had done already to try and manage the pain and a list of medications followed. After asking them about what other ideas they might have about how to manage the pain, I asked if I could share some ideas that other people have found helpful. After they agreed, I mentioned things like breathing and relaxing techniques and pacing, as they hadn’t been brought up in conversation so far. With all the ideas summed up, I asked what the person’s thoughts were, and their answer left me shocked…

I don’t think the suggestions you made will work, because if they did work my doctor would have suggested them to me already!

Potential of GP Surgeries

This week it has been the turn of GPs to be at the receiving end of the government blame game... no doubt us patient leader types will be in line one day soon, so before my morale is flattened like May has flattened every other type of person within the NHS, allow me a few paragraphs of positivity and hope! 

I've been wondering for a while about the real potential within primary care for person-centred care and self-management support, and various conversations recently, not to mention tweets in response to May's comments, have finally made me finish off this blog and press publish...

One of the arguments I hear about federated GP surgeries is about the economies of scale. I get that in terms of procurements, and have heard many examples of the benefits of economies of scale meaning they can bring in specialists such as in house physio’s and diagnostic equipment etc. I also think economies of scale in primary care mean there are great opportunities for person-centred and community centred approaches in federated GP surgeries. Think what a large Trust can do - patient experience team, engagement teams, information teams, support workers.... If large services in NHS Trusts (community/pathway specific) can do it, a la David Gilburt model of patient director in Sussex, so can primary care in the federated models. Let me share my optimistic vision for person-centred federated GP practices, facilitated by a specific job role... I know no-one in primary care has any time for this 'nice to have' stuff, but it is important, so lets gets someone to really focus on it. I'm not asking GPs to do this - god knows they have enough to do already.