Abstract
Study Aim
To design an educational resource for people with lower back pain (LBP) using creative co-production.
Background
Beliefs associated with a traditional biomedical view of LBP can be a barrier to recovery. Education that reframes the problem as complex and multifactorial may help patients except and engage with more positive attitudes and behaviours.
Creative co-production provides a different approach to research intervention development. It encourages a collaborative problem-solving and non-hierarchical approach to knowledge mobilisation.
Method
A four-phased approach to creative co-production was used based on methods developed by the Translating Knowledge into Action (TK2A) theme of NIHR CLAHRC YH.
Service users and providers were brought together in a series of workshops. Initially the lived experience of LBP was explored to generate a shared understanding of the complexities of living with and managing LBP. Then activities designed to promote divergent and convergent thinking were used for idea generation. From these ideas a series of contextually sensitive prototypes were developed and tested on a small scale. Following further iterations the final prototype, ready for implementation, was presented to all key stake holders.
Results
The project produced a new interactive educational resource prototype to promote positive behaviours and attitudes for people living with LBP that can be accessed early on in the health care journey.
Conclusion
The creative methods applied in this project allowed patients and staff to work together, flattening hierarchies to produce pragmatic and contextually specific outputs fit for purpose in the complex clinical environment.
Project funding: Sheffield Teaching Hospitals Charitable Trust supported by National Institute for Health Research Collaborations for Leadership in Applied Research and Care Yorkshire and Humber (NIHR CLAHRC YH)
No conflicts of interest
