Collaborative service delivery to address public health issues within a musculoskeletal setting: evaluation of the Healthy Mind, Healthy Body project

Abstract

Background: There is a need for a greater focus on public health and its impact on MSK conditions within healthcare delivery and physiotherapists are well positioned to support this. Outpatient Physiotherapy Musculoskeletal (MSK) services traditionally focus on rehabilitation and physical exercise yet many service users require support to improve both their mental and physical health.
Aims: This innovative service improvement aimed to embed integrated health promotion within MSK physiotherapy service delivery. Method: A physiotherapy-led multi-professional team introduced patients to other community-based support services to address wider health needs. Findings: Service evaluation demonstrated a high uptake of self-referral to those community services, validating the potential benefit for management of MSK conditions. Positive patient feedback indicates that patients valued the service and were well supported to engage with health improvement. Conclusions: MSK Physiotherapy services need to consider the wider aspects of health putting public health at the heart of MSK service delivery.