Tai Chi In A Primary Care Service

In this podcast we interview Occupational Therapists, Vicky Jones and Liz Smith based in Leek and Biddulph Primary Care Network Occupational Therapy Service.

In 2023 they, along with their colleague, Beth Jackson-Dale, developed an early intervention service focusing on disease prevention and supporting the management of newly-diagnosed long-term mental and physical health conditions. 

They utilised both acupuncture along with tailored tai chi and qigong movements for the patient groups.

The February 2024 edition of OT News features an article about the project.

Guest Profiles

Vicky Jones qualified 2012 from Brunel University. She has worked in a range of settings including acute mental health, community dementia services, emergency medicine, community rehab, Autism services and is now working in Primary Care Occupational Therapy alongside Liz Smith.

Email: [e-mail]

Liz Smith, qualified from The University of Derby in 2004.  She has worked in both acute and community settings, working in both physical and mental health areas before joining Primary Care Occupational Therapy in 2021. 

Email: [e-mail]

 

Interview Summary Setting up a Tai Chi service in primary care:

Occupational therapists Vicky Jones and Liz Smith established a Tai Chi project in a primary care setting in 2021.

They focused on early intervention and proactive approaches for new conditions or existing health conditions.

The project aimed to support both mental wellbeing and physical health.

Evidence-based approach:

The team gathered evidence on Tai Chi as a health intervention for various conditions, including mental health, chronic pain, and falls prevention.

They used this evidence to support their training request and protocol development.

Implementation:

Developed inclusion/exclusion criteria for participants.

Created risk assessments for the environments used.

Initially ran a 10-week project, later adjusted based on outcomes.

Provided participants with personal copies of movements for self-directed learning.

Outcome measures:

Used the MYMOP (Measure Yourself Medical Outcome Profile) to assess baseline symptoms and functioning, repeating at the end of the project.

https://www.meaningfulmeasures.co.uk/mymop

Collected additional feedback through surveys and verbal responses.

Patient benefits:

Improvements in pain management, balance, mental wellbeing, and overall confidence.

Reduced medication use, particularly for pain management.

Enhanced social interactions and community engagement.

Case study:

A 61-year-old man with chronic pain after significant polytrauma showed significant improvements self-reported symptoms (+ 50%), wellbeing (+ 75%), and daily activities (+ 50%) after completing the project.

Unexpected outcomes:

Participants formed social connections, continuing to meet outside of the project.

Some patients challenged their own perceptions of their capabilities such as increased sense of autonomy and self-efficacy.

Tips for implementation:

Prepare visual aids (photos, videos) of movements before starting the project.

Liaise with other practitioners using Tai Chi in their practice.

Explore various training options.

Set clear boundaries and criteria for project access.

Future developments:

Planning to create video resources for patients unable to attend in-person sessions.

Presenting at conferences to share their experiences and outcomes.

Considering publishing research on their findings.

In brief:

This project demonstrates the potential for integrating holistic, evidence-based practices into primary care settings, offering an alternati