“My plan for my life with…” - Questions and answers
What is “My plan for my life with…”?
“My plan for my life with…” is a guide designed to support and empower people with chronic musculoskeletal
conditions to manage their condition better and to feel more in control of their care. The guide aims to help
people with musculoskeletal conditions to make the most of their contact with healthcare professionals. It
includes sections where they can note down how they are feeling, any questions they want to ask, or to
record test results and next steps in their treatment and care. It also signposts sources of information and
support.
The guide is meant to be owned by the individual with the condition. It is their personal guide, for them to
complete as they wish. They may ask their healthcare professionals to help them complete particular
sections. But, fundamentally, it belongs to the individual with the condition.
Who has created “Plan for my life with…”?
The guide has been created by a coalition of organisations working to improve care for people with
musculoskeletal conditions. In developing it, they tested the content and design with real people living with
or supporting people with musculoskeletal conditions. The project was facilitated by the Fit for Work UK
Coalition (http://www.fitforworkeurope.eu/UK/) and the organisations that participated in the development
of the guide included: Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Alliance, Arthritis Care, BackCare, British Society for
Rheumatology, Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, College of Medicine, National Ankylosing Spondylitis
Society, National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society, Neil Betteridge Associates, Patient Information Forum,
Royal College of General Practitioners, and the Work Foundation.
Why is a guide needed?
Musculoskeletal conditions affect more than 10 million adults in the UK1. These conditions may fluctuate and
affect many different aspects of people’s daily lives. This means that care for people with musculoskeletal
conditions is likely to be complex and will bring individuals in contact with multiple different healthcare
professionals. Despite their relatively frequent contact with health services, people with long-term conditions
are likely to spend less than 1% of their time in contact with health professionals2. The rest of the time they
will be managing their condition themselves.
By supporting people to self-manage, patients move away from being passive recipients of care to being
active partners in their own health together with their healthcare professional team. Helping people to
manage their health better on a day-to-day basis brings benefits both to individual patients and to the NHS
as a whole.
What is included in “My plan for my life with…”?
The document includes different sections to help people think about how their condition affects their health
and wellbeing and how they can work with their healthcare professional team to manage their condition as
well as they can. It is intended to be helpful to people whatever their musculoskeletal condition. It does not
1
Department of Health, The Musculoskeletal Services Framework, 2006, Available:
http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20130107105354/http:/www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_4138413
2
NHS England, Five Year Forward View, 2014, Available: http://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/5yfv-web.pdf
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go into the detail of every aspect of every condition since there are more than 200! However, it does signpost
users to national organisations that can provide specific information on the condition they have. Healthcare
professionals may also be able to direct individuals to local support networks for further information.
The guide includes the following sections:
Section
My healthcare team
Understanding my condition
Preparing for appointments
How is my condition affecting
me?
What matters most to me?
My appointment tracker
My tests
My medicines
My exercise plan
My healthy living plan
Tracking my weight
My health and work
General notes
Where to find more
information
Function
A section to record the contact details of the different people in the user’s
healthcare team
A checklist of areas that the user may wish to learn more about which can
be presented to their healthcare professional
A list of things that the user may wish to consider before his/her
appointment with a healthcare professional
A series of diagrams and scales on which users can note where they are
experiencing pain and discomfort, its intensity and their fatigue levels.
They can also note down any questions for their healthcare professionals
before their appointments
A space to write down how the user’s condition affects their life and
identify their medical and personal goals
A section that helps users to keep a record of their conversations with their
healthcare team
A table to help users to keep a note of all of their tests, their results
and any next steps
A table to help users to keep track of their medicines, their dosage and
how often they should take them
A space to write or draw an exercise plan and exercise suggestions
A space to write suggestions for healthy living and lifestyle changes
A chart on which users can mark their weight and record their progress
over time
A section to write down information that users may wish to share with
their employers and the ways in which employers could help them
A space to write any other notes and thoughts
Sources of information about specific conditions and local NHS services
How can someone find the guide?
The intention is for every person with a chronic musculoskeletal condition to be given “My plan for my life
with…” by the healthcare professional coordinating their care, most likely either their GP or their specialist
nurse. It will be handed over as part of the conversation about how the individual can get the best from their
care, and the steps that they can take to help manage their condition.
There should be no pressure for anyone to complete the whole document, but rather encouragement to use
it as a reference. Different sections may be helpful to users at different times. We would like all healthcare
professionals working with people with musculoskeletal conditions to be aware of the guide, to encourage
people to use it and to help them fill it in if asked.
What format is it available in?
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The current guide is available as a downloadable editable PDF and an A5 ring-binder with inserts. The guide is
being piloted in both of these formats, and, depending on feedback, resource will be sought to make it
available in other formats.
How will “My plan for my life with…” be tested?
In 2016, the guide will be systematically tested by the coalition with the target user group as well as
healthcare professionals who will be distributing it. Their qualitative and quantitative feedback will be
centrally collected and used to make appropriate amendments before the full national roll-out of the guide.
In addition, the coalition is seeking a partner to help pilot and scientifically evaluate the impact of the guide
in a health economy. The questions that the pilot will be looking to answer include:
 What impact does using the guide have on individuals’ medical outcomes? For example, have they raised
questions with their healthcare team about pain management that have led to a change in lifestyle or
medication?
 Does using the guide make a difference to individuals’ confidence in managing their condition? Do they
feel they are more in control of their care?
 Has the guide had an impact on the healthcare system? For example, are those using it needing fewer
appointments than might be expected?
It is hoped that the evidence collected through the pilot will demonstrate the case for wider use of “My plan
for my life with…” in the NHS and present a compelling argument for its distribution by patient support
groups and healthcare professionals in all relevant care settings.
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