New study shows how digital self-management resources for people living with chronic musculoskeletal disorders can be made more accessible and patient-centred.
Researchers at the University of Birmingham have led a major new study showing how digital self-management resources for people living with chronic musculoskeletal disorders can be made more effective, accessible and patient-centred.
The study, led by Dr Glykeria Skamagki from the University’s School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences, worked closely with patients to evaluate the quality of online self-management tools used by people living with long-term conditions such as back pain, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
Chronic musculoskeletal disorders affect around 20 million people in the UK and account for approximately 30 million lost working days every year. As health services face growing pressure, digital self-management tools are increasingly important in helping people manage pain, maintain mobility and stay in work.
What makes this research distinctive is its co-production approach. Older workers living with musculoskeletal conditions were not simply participants – they acted as co-evaluators, helping to design the assessment criteria and directly scoring 91 digital self-management resources.
Seven Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) contributors worked alongside the research team to assess each resource for:
Following their evaluation, 50 high-quality resources were identified and ranked.
Patients are often expected to navigate online health information alone, yet the quality of what’s available varies enormously. By placing people with lived experience at the centre of this evaluation, we ensured that the resources selected truly reflect real-world needs.
The highest-rated resources were those that:
In contrast, lower-rated tools relied heavily on static PDFs and text-heavy webpages with little opportunity for tailoring or ongoing engagement.
Participants highlighted programmes such as ESCAPE-pain, NHS Inform and Flippin’ Pain as examples of accessible, engaging and trustworthy platforms.
The research also revealed important gaps. Many digital tools focused almost entirely on physical symptoms, with:
Participants called for future digital tools to better integrate:
This is particularly important for older workers who wish to remain in employment while managing long-term pain.
Another major finding was that high-quality, evidence-based resources are often difficult to find online, with commercial sites frequently appearing ahead of trusted NHS or university-led content in search results.
The researchers recommend improved search engine optimisation for public health resources, alongside greater clinician involvement in signposting patients to reliable digital tools.
The study forms part of the JOINTWORKS network, funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research, which aims to support older workers with musculoskeletal conditions to stay healthy and in work. The team has also developed a practical design blueprint for future digital tools, summarising the key features of effective, inclusive self-management resources.
This work shows how powerful patient-led evaluation can be. It gives developers, clinicians and policymakers clear direction on how to design digital tools that people will actually want to use.
If we want an inclusive workforce, we must design health resources that reflect the realities of older employees. Digital tools should empower, not overwhelm them
The findings will inform future digital health development across the NHS, charities and workplace health services.
Associate Professor in Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy
Glykeria is a chartered physiotherapist with research interests in occupational health and safety, musculoskeletal disorders and education.
Professor of Physical Activity and Community Health
Professor Afroditi Stathi leads the field in promoting active and healthy ageing in international/interdisciplinary research
Professor of Psychology Applied to Health
Professor Greaves conducts internationally recognised research on health behaviour change, practical interventions to prevent cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and support self-care by people with chronic illness.
