The Making it Work Study: Focus Groups (WPA2)

  • Research type

    Research Study

  • Full title

    Supporting people with musculoskeletal disorders in Scotland to remain in work: adapting the Making it Work™ intervention developed for people with inflammatory arthritis in Canada (The Making it Work Study) - Workpackage A Stage 2

  • IRAS ID

    307726

  • Contact name

    Gary Macfarlane

  • Contact email

    g.j.macfarlane@abdn.ac.uk

  • Sponsor organisation

    University of Aberdeen

  • Duration of Study in the UK

    1 years, 0 months, 30 days

  • Research summary

    Musculoskeletal conditions affect around 1 in 3 Scottish adults and have a substantial impact on individuals’ work. There is a lack of services supporting individuals with long-term conditions, to help those who wish to remain working to do so. Making it Work™ is an online self-management programme developed in Canada which supports people working with inflammatory arthritis. The programme helped individuals to feel more capable to meet their work demands and reduced the likelihood of periods of sickness absence more than two months duration.

    Using group discussions (or interviews where necessary), we will seek input from patients, employers, and healthcare professionals on aspects of the programme to adapt or modify in order to make it relevant for people with a much wider range of musculoskeletal conditions in Scotland. Specifically we plan to expand the programme to individuals with non-inflammatory conditions such as osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia and chronic regional or widespread pain. The findings from this study will be used to inform specific revisions/adaptations to make to the programme to make it relevant for the Scottish health and social care context; a broader range of musculoskeletal conditions; and to also enable it to be relevant for people working within varied occupational settings and/or for working patterns/practices which have as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

  • REC name

    East of England - Cambridge South Research Ethics Committee

  • REC reference

    22/EE/0046

  • Date of REC Opinion

    1 Apr 2022

  • REC opinion

    Further Information Favourable Opinion