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16 January 2020
A new suite of materials, including a video and editable leaflets, have been developed by people living with chronic pain alongside researchers from the National Institute for Health and Care Research Applied Research Collaboration West (NIHR ARC West). The materials are designed to support clinicians who run NHS pain management programmes (PMP), to assist patients in setting up their own peer support group after their PMP has ended.
NIHR ARC West research has found that these peer support groups are a low-cost and effective intervention, encouraging people to consolidate self-management techniques learnt on PMPs into their lives and provide mutual support in the face of pain flare-ups or other setbacks.
Chronic pain, which is pain lasting longer than three months, affects four out of 10 people in the UK. It can affect a person’s entire life, including their relationships, sleep, employment and ability to participate in normal day-to-day activities. It often leads to isolation and depression.
The NHS offers group PMPs to help people understand and better manage chronic pain. PMPs can help people learn ways of dealing with the disabling effects and distress caused by being in pain to improve mobility, reduce reliance on drugs and gain a sense of control over their pain, helping them to re-establish their family, work and social roles. But the positive impact of these programmes doesn’t always continue after they have ended.
Patients and staff at North Bristol NHS Trust (NBT) have tackled this problem by encouraging patients to develop their own follow-on peer support groups once they’ve finished their PMP, to sustain and build on the positive effects in the longer term.
Towards the end of a PMP course, patients are provided with a rationale and guidance about continuing to meet and are supported to help organise themselves independently of NHS pain services. Follow-on peer support groups are encouraged to continue with goal setting, consolidating what they achieve during a PMP and provide mutual support in the face of pain flare-ups or other setbacks.
Researchers at NIHR ARC West investigated the experiences of follow-on peer support groups for both patients and clinical staff. They found the groups helped people self-manage their symptoms in the long term, supported well-being, reduced feeling of isolation as well as enabling new friendships.
A group of people with chronic pain who were taking part in follow-on peer support groups worked with the researchers to co-design leaflets and a video. These materials were created so that other clinicians who run PMPs can adapt their approach to enable patients to develop their own follow-on peer support groups.
The materials include:
Nick Ambler, Clinical Psychologist at NBT, said:
“Follow-on peer support groups are like re-writing the ending of pain management programmes. While the professionals who supported them throughout the programme step back, people who want to then continue to meet and support each other, building on what they learned in the pain management course.”
Michelle Farr, Senior Research Associate at NIHR ARC West, said:
“Our research shows that peer support groups are both low cost and effective, so we hope that other NHS pain services will follow the example set by North Bristol NHS Trust. These leaflets and the video are designed to help clinicians managing NHS pain management programmes do just that.”
We can send editable Word versions of these leaflets to clinicians wishing to support the development of peer support groups after PMPs. Please email Michelle Farr m.farr@bristol.ac.uk to receive Word versions. You will also be sent an evaluation questionnaire that you can use to get a clearer picture of the difference these peer support groups might make to your patients.