#DesignforMSK: Ideas sharing workshop

The Public Programmes team is working on a brand new project, #DesignforMSK, aimed at young people (16-26 years old) in Manchester with musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions, to encourage them to help raise awareness of MSK and design new products that could improve daily life for young patients with MSK conditions.

The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Manchester Musculoskeletal Biomedical Research Unit (BRU) brings together leading researchers from CMFT and The University of Manchester, to take promising early biomedical research and translate it into patient benefit.

The research underway at the NIHR Manchester Musculoskeletal BRU focuses on improved treatment for adults and children with musculoskeletal disorders, including arthritis and connective tissue disease.

Working closely with the Public Programmes Team, the BRU places high quality public and patient engagement and involvement in research at the heart of its work, including through its engagement strategy and associated activities since 2012.

The team is looking for people to share images, videos or text or tweets using the hashtag #DesignforMSK to describe or highlight some of the daily issues that they may face as a young person living with a musculoskeletal condition including arthritis, lupus and myositis. They could include disease-specific issues or could be used to describe what life is like on a daily basis as a young patient.

Examples received so far include:

Images, videos and Twitter contributions will feed in to a design process in Manchester between a small group of young patients, product designers and researchers. They will use the content of #DesignforMSK to discuss ideas, draw up initial designs and will work together to make products for young patients.

This project is part of a national scheme but there is also an opportunity for Manchester young people to get involved in a local initiative.

This workshop is an opportunity for up to 10 young people to share their ideas with local product design students to create products that will be showcased in a local exhibition later this year.

The workshops will be an opportunity for participants to:

• Meet other patients with similar conditions alongside product design students and researchers;
• Share experiences and design ideas;
• Explain more about features that would need to be included in products/ equipment to ensure that they are designed with young people with MSK in mind.

To find out more, contact public.programmes@cmft.nhs.uk, or visit the Eventbrite page.