P5
MAKING IT WORK™ – SCOTLAND: ADAPTATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE CANADIAN MAKING IT WORK PROGRAMME TO SUPPORT PEOPLE WORKING WITH MUSCULOSKELETAL CONDITIONS IN THE UK
C. Ghiglieri1, R. S. Anderson1, E. Wainwright1, R. Hollick1, D. Lacaille2, G. J. Macfarlane1, L. Morton1
1Aberdeen Centre for Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Health (Epidemiology Group), University of Aberdeen and Medical Research Council / Versus Arthritis Centre for Musculoskeletal Health and Work (CMHW) Aberdeen, UK
2Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, and Arthritis Research Canada, Vancouver, Canada
Background
Musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions can impact on work ability and are a common reason for long-term sickness absence. Working with an MSK condition is often linked to issues like fatigue and stress and it can be challenging to obtain job accommodations. Making it Work™ is an online self-management programme that effectively supports people with inflammatory arthritis in Canada with these challenges, helping them to stay in work. This project aims to adapt the Making it Work™ programme to make it suitable for use within the UK context and for a wider range of MSK conditions.
Methods
Prioritised changes, informed by focus groups, were made to content and structure while retaining key information and components. Input from patient partners and stakeholders guided these changes, which were then taken forward by an eLearning team to adapt the programme. This will now be user-tested for acceptability, relevance, and usability.
Results
The adapted programme comprises five core modules combining information, activities, relaxation, and self-reflection. Changes were made within modules to ensure that case-studies, examples, and information reflected a broader spectrum of conditions and working situations. To improve clarity, narration has been prioritised over on-screen text. Programme sections have been re-structured to enhance navigation and information flow. Changes to the programme have now been made, and programme development will be complete summer 2024.
Implications for policy or practice:
As an online resource, the programme will offer a cost-effective and accessible source of support, aligning with national efforts to improve equality in access to support-to-work services.
References:
[1] Versus Arthritis. The State of Musculoskeletal Health 2021 (2021), https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/data-and-statistics/the-state-of-musculoskeletal-health/ [last accessed: 22/02/2023]
[2] Lacaille D, White MA, Rogers PA, Backman CL, Gignac MA, Esdaile JM. A proof‐of‐concept study of the “employment and arthritis: Making it work” program. Arthritis Care & Research 2008;59(11):1647-1655
