Abstract
Background
The Healing Shift Enquiry centres in the study of people’s innate capacity for creative change, healing, recovery and wellbeing. From there it explores scaling up this knowledge to create fresh approaches to health and wellbeing, through the expanding layers of self-care, and health care and its environments, staff development and welfare. It then considers wider systems and policies and cultures, working with its sister AfterNow.co.uk project.
Aims & Questions
Might TheWEL programme, developed in secondary care for people with long term conditions (1) succeed in primary care – The PrimaryWEL? Would it work to begin with staff before patients?
- Could we seed a model of cultural shift among health staff, from an expert-treatment illness focus, towards more enabling partnership and wellness enhancement?
- Would this create a supportive environment for later patient participants on TheWEL?
- Could we assist staff in building their own welfare and self-care?
Methods
Parallel with patient cohorts in Glasgow, a StaffWEL was offered in the health care centre in Nairn, alternating with patient cohorts. Evaluation blends:
- Literature Scan of markers of healing process and their relation to Wellness programmes;
- Questionnaires;
- Interviews;
- In-depth case studies;
- Focus groups;
- Pilot study of biological measures of wellbeing;
- External Team Assessment using Learning Journey Methodology
Results
To date 80 of the 280 staff have attended. Their concerning initial levels of distress, loss of wellbeing, and adverse shifts in biological markers, are on par with the 80 patients. Like the patients, staff gave high course ratings, and reported significant positive shifts in wellbeing, and self-care behaviours. Staff self-generated waiting lists for further courses, and by the third intake, 13 of 20 (65%) prospective participants reported making positive changes already, influenced by previously attending colleagues.
Discussion
Rooting service design and wellness courses in the study of healing change process appears to yield helpful results, for patients and staff. There is important potential for scaling this approach up to think in fresh ways and create cultural shifts to assist the current impasse in our models of care in long term conditions.
The Healing Shift Enquiry centres in the study of people’s innate capacity for creative change, healing, recovery and wellbeing. From there it explores scaling up this knowledge to create fresh approaches to health and wellbeing, through the expanding layers of self-care, and health care and its environments, staff development and welfare. It then considers wider systems and policies and cultures, working with its sister AfterNow.co.uk project.
Aims & Questions
Might TheWEL programme, developed in secondary care for people with long term conditions (1) succeed in primary care – The PrimaryWEL? Would it work to begin with staff before patients?
- Could we seed a model of cultural shift among health staff, from an expert-treatment illness focus, towards more enabling partnership and wellness enhancement?
- Would this create a supportive environment for later patient participants on TheWEL?
- Could we assist staff in building their own welfare and self-care?
Methods
Parallel with patient cohorts in Glasgow, a StaffWEL was offered in the health care centre in Nairn, alternating with patient cohorts. Evaluation blends:
- Literature Scan of markers of healing process and their relation to Wellness programmes;
- Questionnaires;
- Interviews;
- In-depth case studies;
- Focus groups;
- Pilot study of biological measures of wellbeing;
- External Team Assessment using Learning Journey Methodology
Results
To date 80 of the 280 staff have attended. Their concerning initial levels of distress, loss of wellbeing, and adverse shifts in biological markers, are on par with the 80 patients. Like the patients, staff gave high course ratings, and reported significant positive shifts in wellbeing, and self-care behaviours. Staff self-generated waiting lists for further courses, and by the third intake, 13 of 20 (65%) prospective participants reported making positive changes already, influenced by previously attending colleagues.
Discussion
Rooting service design and wellness courses in the study of healing change process appears to yield helpful results, for patients and staff. There is important potential for scaling this approach up to think in fresh ways and create cultural shifts to assist the current impasse in our models of care in long term conditions.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Publication status | Published - 25 Apr 2013 |
| Externally published | Yes |
| Event | The Scottish School of Primary Care 2013 Annual Conference: Environmental Influences on Health - Centre for Health Science, Inverness, United Kingdom Duration: 25 Apr 2013 → 26 Apr 2013 |
Conference
| Conference | The Scottish School of Primary Care 2013 Annual Conference |
|---|---|
| Country/Territory | United Kingdom |
| City | Inverness |
| Period | 25/04/13 → 26/04/13 |
