CHESS

Chronic Headache Education and Self-management Study

Chronic headache, that is headache occurring on 15 or more days per month for more than three months, is a common problem, affecting around one in 30 of the population. There are three main types of chronic headache; migraine, tension type and medication overuse. There is very little information on the use of non-drug treatments or how to support people to manage their chronic headaches better (supported self-management). We want to develop and test a self-management support programme for people living with chronic headache comprising of individually tailored and generic components (the CHESS intervention). The programme will draw on the experience of people with chronic headaches to identify both what sort of interventions would be acceptable and what would be a meaningful benefit from the intervention. Please visit the study's webpages here.

HE: Stavros Petrou, Felix Achana PI: Martin Underwood

Facet

Facet-joint injections for people with with persistent non-specific low back pain (FIS)

The Facet Injection Study (FIS) is a mixed-methods, randomised, multicentre feasibility study to assess the clinical and cost-effectiveness of facet joint injections compared to best usual non-invasive care in patients with persistent non-specific low back pain. Please find more information on this trial here.

HE: Stavros Petrou PI: Martin Underwood Funder: NIHR HTA

LYNC 

Improving health outcomes for young people with long-term conditions: The role of digital communication in current and future patient-clinical communication for NHS providers of specialist clinical services (the LYNC Study)

In this study, we looked at how digital technologies (email, mobile phone calls, text messages, Voice over Internet Protocol) are being used for clinical communications between health professionals and patients. We focussed on young people aged 16-24 years receiving specialist care for a range of long- term health conditions, and their clinical teams.

Overtime, young people living with diabetes, cystic fibrosis, sickle cell and other long-term health conditions may disengage from health services, thereby negatively affecting their health and burdening the health system. We investigated whether and how their engagement can be improved through the use of digital clinical communications, and so improve their health outcomes.

Young people are prolific users of digital communications, including for healthcare. Innovative clinicians in the UK National Health Service (NHS) have been using digital communications in an effort to engage and retain this generation of digitally-connected patients. From these early adopters and users of technologies, we have been learning how, why and with what effect digital, clinical communications can be used with young people and their clinical teams in the NHS.

HE: Sungwook Kim PI: Frances Griffiths, Jackie Sturt (King's College London) Funder: NIHR