Developing and delivering education

The key activities, common across all healthcare professional groups, are as follows. We should:

• identify unmet needs for education from the relevant target groups
• identify unmet needs for education for teachers and trainers of healthcare professionals (musculoskeletal educators)
• aim to be the key source of high-quality educational resources for healthcare professionals - both as a provider in its own right, and as a gateway by which health professionals can access suitable materials produced by other organisations.
• effectively disseminate our resources to healthcare professionals, teachers, trainers and students
• support other activities that increase the effectiveness of musculoskeletal educators
• increase engagement with other external bodies interested in healthcare professional education in general and those whose activities are specific to musculoskeletal disorders
• ensure that evaluation of educational resources goes beyond user satisfaction and makes links to short- and long-term outcomes such as changes in knowledge and behaviour
• remain the UK lead in developing and funding educational research in the field of musculoskeletal education.
• aim to ensure that there is sufficient capacity within the area of academic musculoskeletal disease to allow our educational research to take place
• act as a source of reliable information on the current educational opportunities available for healthcare professionals (including trainees and students)
• develop schemes and incentives that attract healthcare professionals (as appropriate) to the rewards of both clinical and academic training in musculoskeletal disorders

Additional key tasks relating to specific audience groups

In addition to the common key tasks listed above, there are key tasks that are specific to particular audience groups are as follows: 

Undergraduate Medical Students

• provide musculoskeletal undergraduate educators with, a `toolkit' of resources that can be adapted for local needs to deliver high-quality teaching.
• in relation to curriculum development or the preparation of individuals for postgraduate exams and other formal assessments, we should not be involved as these tasks are more appropriately undertaken by others

Primary care doctors

• gather robust clinical data to indicate the needs for musculoskeletal education in primary care with a separate emphasis on the needs of those with a special interest in musculoskeletal disorders (GPwSIs)
• aim to use clinical data and appropriate educational resources to campaign for and guide both curriculum development and future health service policy in regards to musculoskeletal care delivery in primary care

Secondary care doctors (including medically qualified trainees and consultants in relevant specialties)

• identify the needs of trainees and specialists in delivering education to others, especially students and other healthcare professionals, and promote excellence in teaching and learning in fulfilling these needs.
• develop schemes and incentives for secondary care trainees and consultants to reward innovation in the delivery of education and support research in this area
• provide appropriate training opportunities for developing capacity in musculoskeletal education delivery and research via fellowships and other related activities

Allied Health Professionals

In this context the term `Allied Health Professionals' (AHPs) refers to professional groups such as nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, podiatrists, orthotists, dietitians and others. There are also AHPs who have developed a specialist role in musculoskeletal disorders and the key tasks are also directed to those who may or should develop such a specialist role. Arthritis Research UK should:

• identify the needs of AHPs in delivering education to patients and their carers with musculoskeletal disorders
• identify the role of specific courses, including formal postgraduate courses, workshops and one-off events in meeting the educational and training needs of AHPs, and where necessary design, initiate and provide ongoing support for such courses and other events
• lead in developing and funding the role of AHP educational interventions in musculoskeletal diseases.
• aim for maximum awareness by all stakeholders of the role of AHPs in the care, education and management of people with musculoskeletal disorders
• modify and where necessary develop specific materials for AHPs in primary care.

Educational Research

There are two distinct roles for us in terms of its educational research agenda. These are:

• The evaluation of the effectiveness of different educational interventions to inform health care professionals.
• The evaluation of the effectiveness of different educational interventions to inform patients and their carers which could also change attitudes, beliefs and behaviour leading to a more beneficial clinical outcome.

We aim to provide a key contribution to understanding the role of the educational interventions in both these areas, predominantly by commissioning research projects to achieve specific goals.