Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Co-production refers to working in partnership with service-users to improve provision of services. Increasing evidence highlights that co-production can improve health care and result in financial savings. Service-users are involved in defining the problem or need, creating the solution, delivering it, and evaluating it. This approach demands longer-term engagement by service-providers but leads to sustainable change. Graphic facilitation is the use of large-scale imagery to focus groups towards a goal stimulating strategic dialogue. Patients feel their ideas are captured and validated helping a consensus to be gained.

Methods: Six patients and four members of staff from the Diabetes Service at Ealing Hospital attended the session. All participants were over 14 years old and informed consent was obtained. A graphic facilitator was present who documented the conversations as a pictorial storyboard, however did not take part in conversations. The session took part outside of any clinic area and refreshments were provided, this informal approach created a sociable environment, which was a useful way to move forward in co-design. Participants highlighted challenges faced by adolescents with diabetes initially through ‘word maps’ then focusing on ways to improve the service.

Results: Participants highlighted improvements to clinic structure using a more adolescent tailored consultation. Other topics included progressing forward a WhatsApp group. Further work is looking at setting up a clinic in a local school to reduce appointments and a cookery book. Following this session staff also undertook additional training in motivational interviewing to further enrich consultations. Qualitative data has highlighted improved patient satisfaction following this co-production. One patient quoted ‘I felt valued and involved in decision-making to improve my care’.

Conclusion: Co-production and graphic facilitation are useful methods to improve services and patient-centred care. It may improve adolescent ownership of their condition, and further research is necessary to determine if this change is sustained.