Linking people with long-term health conditions to healthy community activities: development of Patient-Led Assessment for Network Support (PLANS).

Christian Blickem,Praksha Jariwala,Tom Blakeman,Helen Brooks,Rebecca Morris,Anne Rogers,Ivaylo Vassilev,Anne Kennedy

doi:10.1111/hex.12088

Christian Blickem, Praksha Jariwala + Show 6 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1111/hex.12088

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Journal: Health Expectations	Publication Date: Jun 3, 2013
Citations: 51	License type: CC BY 3.0

Affiliation: University of Manchester

Abstract

ObjectiveTo combine insights from service users with long‐term conditions (LTCs) to assist the development of a community referral intervention designed to promote engagement and improve access to health‐relevant resources.BackgroundSocial deprivation and reduced access to resources have been causally linked with social isolation and the ability to manage LTCs. Participation in meaningful activity has been associated with positive health benefits, and strategies to promote access to community activities have shown some potential to improve outcomes for people with LTCs. This suggests the need to develop an engagement and referral intervention in partnership with service users and community groups as part of mainstream self‐care support.MethodA series of focus groups and interviews with members of community groups in Greater Manchester designed as an iterative and collaborative approach to elicit the role of personal and community networks that support long‐term condition management (LTCM) to develop a community referral tool.ResultsParticipants reported a broad range of resources relevant to LTCM that often went beyond the usual concerns associated with self‐care. This helped to inform a tool (PLANS) to tailor access to types of community‐based resources which can support LTCM.ConclusionsUnderstanding the everyday challenges of living with a LTC highlighted the importance of connecting and engaging with localized support for people. In response to this, we developed an intervention (PLANS) which tailors access to local resources based on personal preferences, needs and acceptability to encourage service users to engage with sustainable health choices.

Highlights

Long-term conditions (LTCs) are the leading cause of ill health and disability in the UK1,2 and are disproportionately experienced by socially deprived groups who suffer most from reduced access to resources and social isolation
Participants reported a broad range of resources relevant to long-term condition management (LTCM) that often went beyond the usual concerns associated with self-care
We developed an intervention (PLANS) which tailors access to local resources based on personal preferences, needs and acceptability to encourage service users to engage with sustainable health choices

Summary

Introduction

Long-term conditions (LTCs) are the leading cause of ill health and disability in the UK1,2 and are disproportionately experienced by socially deprived groups who suffer most from reduced access to resources and social isolation. Social deprivation and reduced access to resources have been causally linked with social isolation and the ability to manage LTCs. Participation in meaningful activity has been associated with positive health benefits, and strategies to promote access to community activities have shown some potential to improve outcomes for people with LTCs. Participation in meaningful activity has been associated with positive health benefits, and strategies to promote access to community activities have shown some potential to improve outcomes for people with LTCs This suggests the need to develop an engagement and referral intervention in partnership with service users and community groups as part of mainstream self-care support

Methods

Discussion

Conclusion