Physiotherapy Pain Association (PPA)
Delighted to be the first patient representative on the Physiotherapy Pain Association (PPA) Executive Committee.
The PPA is for Chartered Physiotherapists and other practitioners involved in the treatment of patients with acute or chronic pain. The PPA was established in 1994 for Chartered Physiotherapists and was recognised as a Clinical Interest Group of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP) in 1996.
Visit the PPA website for further information about what we do!
Health Foundation PIP project
In December 2019, I was delighted to be asked as part of the PPA to take part as a patient representative in a Health Foundation funded project on persistent pain and mental health. I joined a committee which included physiotherapists, clinical psychologists and another patient (Carole). As a patient I was fully included in conversations and decisions. My experience was that of true co-production, by all stakeholders, including me as a patient. Impressive!
The aim of the project was to produce and test a ‘Psychologically Informed Practice’ training package for Tier 2 MSK physiotherapists to:
- increase confidence in delivering and managing psychologically informed physiotherapy interventions,
- improve care and support to patients presenting with both persistent pain and psycho/social needs,
- produce an accredited PIP skills training programme ready for wider spread and adoption.as
We kick started the project with a two day meeting in London. The format of the course was ‘designed’ and the way forward planned. In the afternoon of the second day we held a shared learning event for around 100 people, explaining our project and what Psychologically Informed Practice is. Some of us presented, alongside some other invited guests. Scary as it was presenting to a room full of clinicians, I did a 45 minute presentation called ‘The need for change: a patient story’ and Carole’s patient story was also presented. Impressively our patient stories were rated highly by the audience! It was great to put our thoughts across.
Two of the group, Rebecca and Anna, took the lead in developing content, but they always kept the rest of the group up to date and fully involved us. As patients Carole and I challenged some ideas, contributed our own and helped ensure the patient voice was both at the centre of our discussions, and the developing training. I am sure we have had an impact on the development of the training, and I am sure the training will be all the better for including our patient voice.
It has been a privilege to have actively supported the creation of course materials. I have written some materials for the training course, providing a patient perspective on topics. Carole and I have been involved in the co-production of patient vignettes/case studies which will be used in experiential learning sessions.
I don’t know how unique it is to have patients truly co-producing training materials with clinicians, but it is certainly unique for me.
The first delivery of the training started in September 2020, and Carole and I continue to be involved in reviewing the training and making suggestions for improvement. Due to COVID-19 the training was delivered online.
Health Innovation Network and the clinicians involved in the project have been amazing to work with. My involvement in this project is something I truly value. I hope I have helped make a difference!
PPA Webinar: Online Pain Management Groups
The PPA hosted a webinar on 29th May 2020 in response to the need to deliver group rehabilitation online due to COVID-19, and I was pleased to be invited to take part.
Due to COVID-19, face to face pain management groups are likely to be unavailable to most services for the forseeable future. This PPA Webinar aims to share the experiences of patients and clinicians with online programmes and groups.
The evidence suggests online pain management programmes are comparable to in person programmes, when the needs of individuals are considered.
