In the realm of healthcare, patient education plays a pivotal role in ensuring individuals understand their conditions, treatments, and how to manage their health effectively.

Shaping services around the needs of our population

We know that conveying complex medical information in a clear and accessible manner can be challenging. This is where Sussex MSK Partnership Central‘s animations step in, rethinking the way healthcare information is delivered to patients. 

Their three short videos – Introduction to Musculoskeletal Health, What to Expect and How to Prepare for Your Appointment and Person Initiated Follow Up offer simplicity in messaging, providing people with a clear understanding of the term MSK and what to expect from the service.

Accessible videos for people receiving MSK care

Accessible information about the services we offer

Jo Hall, Professional Lead at Sussex MSK Partnership, reflects: 

 As part of Personalised Care and understanding what matters most to people, we know how important it is to support people with friendly, accessible information about the services we offer, what to expect, and how to prepare, to enable them to make the most of any contact they have with us.  

It also goes beyond this – helping inform people about MSK health and beyond, offering reassurance and signposting to support living well within their community. 

By simplifying medical jargon and presenting information in a visually engaging format, people can grasp crucial healthcare insights more easily.

Through colourful visuals and dynamic storytelling, patients are not only informed but also entertained, making the learning process more enjoyable and effective. 

“We gained a lot of insight from our communities at The Big Conversation, hearing that people didn’t understand what MSK meant, who we are as a service and what we offer. It made a big difference to work with them to shape our animation to suit the needs of the end user.” Jo Hall, Professional Lead at Sussex MSK Partnership

Speaking directly to people at their Big Conversation events allowed the MSK service to understand what the local population wants and needs when it comes to accessible healthcare, helping to shape their offerings. By incorporating feedback and insights from these events, Sussex MSK Partnership Central ensured their animations provide valuable information but also resonate with and cater to the diverse needs of the community they serve. 

The team worked on the videos with local designer Katie Merrien, Founder of CommuniKate Design, who breaks down complex information into digestible, visual narratives.  

The service has also produced offline assets, including posters and leaflets, to ensure those who don’t have digital access can still benefit from the content of the video.

Furthermore, with incorporation of British Sign Language (BSL) this adds an invaluable layer of accessibility for deaf or hard of hearing individuals, ensuring that no one is left behind in understanding their healthcare journey.

In April and May, across two days, 550 people from our physiotherapy routine waiting list came and joined us in their local community at our Community Appointment Days. 

Community Appointment Days (CADs) provide a comprehensive range of MSK services under one roof. Conveniently located in local leisure centres, CADs offer a range of resources tailored to the specific needs of the local population, providing same-day access to services including assessments, advice, health promotion, rehabilitation and community and voluntary sector support, all in a non-medicalised environment.    

Taking the opportunity to step out of business as usual to look at how we might shape the future MSK service, we knew that the premise for doing so was multifactorial. We recognised that the current system tended to lean into treating people with a single condition, putting people on a pathway that focussed on a biomedical model, and where it was perceived people are best managed in a hospital setting. We also acknowledged that clinicians were being faced with increasing complexity and intensity of clinical practice, and consequently, staff were feeling burnt out with low morale.  

MSK practitioners at a Community Appointment Day (CAD)

Inspired by New Local’s Community Powered NHS and Victor Montori’s ‘Why We Revolt’, the CAD innovation leans into the strength of the community to find the solution to support individuals, shifting away from a paternalistic mindset to a therapeutic alliance which recognises the expertise individuals bring is equal to the expertise that clinicians bring.

Find out what people had to say after attending a Community Appointment Day here.

Download the Community Appointment Day Essential Ingredients.

Download the Community Appointment Day Information Sheet.

About Sussex MSK Partnership Central

Sussex MSK Partnership Central is a joint venture between Here, & Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust. This is a prime contracting model supporting musculoskeletal (MSK) health for a population of 650,000 covering physiotherapy, orthopaedics, rheumatology and chronic pain. The service operates across central Sussex; including Brighton & Hove, Horsham and mid Sussex and Crawley.

Website: www.sussexmskpartnershipcentral.co.uk

Interested in finding out more about the Community Appointment Days?

Email collab@hereweare.org.uk or use the form below.