MS TRUST CONFERENCE 2007: Therapists in MS 2007 meeting update

The following is a summary of the reports presented at the Therapists in MS meeting held at the MS Trust annual conference held in Leeds, November 2007.

Due to well-recognised NHS pressures the Therapists in MS network (TiMS) have had the opportunity of fewer meetings this year. However, despite such practical issues good progress has been made, with the three main areas of work.

Research: Core stability

In 2006 the research working group discussed setting up a project using a multi-centred approach to involve a small selected group of therapists in an innovative study. After inviting ideas for a research question, and reviewing all the proposals submitted by members of TiMS, it was agreed that the research project should focus on standardised core stability exercises in MS and their effect on balance.

A call went out to all members of the TiMS directory and Frontline readers asking for anyone who would be interested in taking part in this project. Sixty-two expressions of interest were received. To aid differentiation, the research group agreed a standard questionnaire for respondents to clarify their experience caseload etc. 22 completed questionnaires were received and these have been used to select the final group of clinicians to participate in the study.

Concurrently the research group have been working on the research proposal and the information that will be required to submit for ethics approval. It is envisaged that this will not occur until early 2008 and the project will begin mid 2008. The group plan to meet with the selected clinicians in due course.

Audit:

The TiMS audit working group has compiled an audit tool that aims to looks at therapy services provision for people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS). The aim of the audit is to identify the strengths and weaknesses of therapy services and correlate services against implementation of the NSF quality requirements.

The method employed by the group was to align development of the tool with the Therapists in MS: delivering the long-term solution publication, which orientates itself closely to the NSF for long-term conditions.

The group reviewed NSF quality requirements 1 - 11 in the Therapists in MS document to ensure all requirements were covered. Some of the questions relate to more than one quality requirement and thus the group have been able to keep the volume of the audit tool down to a minimum.

The audit questionnaire has just been finalised and is being piloted by the members of the core group. Any changes will be incorporated and then it will be converted into a web-based format. The tool will be available on the Therapist in MS website.

For the future TiMS are hoping that with representative and robust results as more people / services use the tool there will be a national marker on the availability of therapy services to people with MS, and progress towards implementation of the NSF. The results of the audit will be made available to individuals and organisations campaigning for better service provision for people with MS.

Education

The Education Group held a study day in May at the Royal College of Physicians entitled Mind Matters in MS The speakers covered a wide range of topics including the management of psychiatric conditions in MS, strategies for managing cognitive impairment, capacity and consent issues, advanced directives and adult protection. The course was very popular and for this reason it has been decided to repeat the day in Edinburgh in the spring of 2008.

In September a questionnaire was produced with the aim of discovering the educational needs of therapists working with people with MS and to help plan future events. Many respondents said that they would like study days to be repeated at different venues around the country rather than concentrating on London as the main venue. The majority said that they preferred study days to concentrate on a particular topic and the most requested subjects for future study days were spasticity management, postural control and ataxia. TiMS are therefore considering running a series of masterclasses on these subjects around the country in 2008.

The next main project being considered is to develop a simple teaching pack for therapists to use with formal and informal carers on the day-to-day management of spasticity and posture in the home. It is hoped to launch this at the MS Trust conference in November 2008. If you would like to get involved in this project or have any other ideas please contact therapists@mstrust.org.uk and your email will be forwarded to the relevant TiMS person.

General information:

The aims of TiMS remain

  • To be a proactive voice for UK therapists to influence the development of services for people affected by MS.
  • To support UK therapists who have an interest in MS through the sharing of expertise and best practice.
  • To increase awareness of the role of the therapist in MS amongst other health/social care professionals and stakeholders.
  • To recognise and raise the profile of the increasing number of therapists working at a specialist level in MS.
  • To develop educational initiatives which provide support for UK therapists with an interest in MS.
  • To encourage therapists to undertake and publish research in the field of MS.
  • To forge links with other professional MS organisations, both nationally and internationally.

If you know of any other therapists who might be interested please suggest they visit www.therapistsinms.org.uk or contact Brenda.king on 01462 476704 or therapists@mstrust.org.uk for an information pack.