LiMBiC
“Stop trying to cure us
and START LISTENING!”
Research at Bournemouth University helps primary care teams improve
care for people with back pain
Written by a team from Bournemouth University, led by Dr Charles Campion-Smith
●
The healthcare faculty from including receptionists, managers and BackCare. A member from BackCare

Bournemouth University has clinicians. The learning teams also took a role in the project Steering Group
been working with general included a patient representative. and facilitated patient sessions in the
practices from across Dorset and workshops.
Wiltshire to look at how healthcare During the course of the project, people
professionals and their teams can suffering with back pain said they The workshops identified that there was a
improve the way they support people were keen for the local health care tendency to make assumptions based on
with back pain. professionals to “stop trying to cure a traditional medical approach, and there
us and start listening.” The Learning was a strong need for practice managers,
Nine practices from Dorset and to Improve the Management of Back patients, practice staff, GPs and nurses
Wiltshire were involved in eight half-day Pain in the Community (LIMBIC) Project to work closely together to ensure that
workshops, providing an opportunity saw faculty from the School of Health the views of patients were heard.
to learn from each other and receive and Social Care share their expertise
practice-based learning support in and healthcare knowledge with local Having practice managers who saw
between. practitioners and patient representatives the project as part of the whole team’s
to develop new ways to treat and prevent development and GPs who saw their
The workshops provided new evidence back pain through self-management. practice committed to learning and
about back pain and introduced current developing was vital in leading change.
thinking about principles and methods The project aimed to develop and The workshops introduced improvement
of service improvement. The practice evaluate an inter-professional approach tools, such as process maps, to help
teams were encouraged to adopt a to learning and working. It was funded by them understand existing processes,
‘team approach’ that utilised the skills The Health Foundation and collaborated and provided expert advice in areas like
and experience of all those healthcare with local Primary Care Trusts from communication and self-care.
professionals involved in dealing with Bournemouth & Poole and Wiltshire.
and caring for patients with back pain, There was also high level input from Practices found that it was important to
16 The Backcare Journal
backcare Winter 2009/10.indd 16 8/1/10 11:19:35
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40