Wellbeing care maps

This research aims to investigate how individuals with long term conditions perceive, conceptualise and own their wellbeing. Recent healthcare research is promoting personalisation of the provision of services by using integrated healthcare technology solutions. The need for more holistic, patient-centred and patient-owned approaches to healthcare is becoming more prominent from two key and distinctive viewpoints:

Firstly, existing systems for dealing with long term conditions are unsustainable and the severity and immediacy of the financial pressures facing health-systems such as the NHS require a radical new approach as the population continues to grow and age. A logical solution to this crisis is providing people with the knowledge and confidence required to take ownership of their condition, make informed decisions about their own condition and overall wellbeing, and act independently where possible to manage it without wholly relying on healthcare providers.

Secondly, evidence from research shows that adopting these more integrative, holistic and patient-centred approaches to healthcare that focus on well-being outcomes and help the patient develop a sense of ownership, can lead to a more satisfactory patient experience. This is particularly important for patient care for those suffering from long-term conditions, such as physical or cognitive disability, asthma or Cystic Fibrosis and mental health problems, whose care needs are complex and multifaceted.

By conducting creative workshops and focus group interviews with Brunel University students registered in the Dyslexia and Disability Services we have attempted to cover this research gap. Our initial findings highlight that the notions of wellbeing, as regards people with long-term disabilities, need to be broad, encompassing physical, emotional, material and environmental factors. Moreover, barriers to wellbeing are not just social and environmental but also psychological. Therefore interventions towards improving wellbeing must adopt a multi-dimensional approach.