Supporting ESCAPE-pain sites to deliver through digital during covid-19

The HIN’s ESCAPE-pain team received requests from sites that were eager to pilot ESCAPE-pain classes using a digital platform. The team adapted to meet this need and supported sites to trial virtual delivery if they could.

The ESCAPE-pain programme is an intervention for people with chronic joint pain. Covid-19 forced over 290 venues to suspend face-to-face classes. The challenge faced by ESCAPE-pain sites was how to support people on their waiting lists with knee/hip/back pain who were now confined to their homes. As it was unknown how long the government restrictions would be in place, people on these waiting lists were at risk of deteriorating whilst waiting for face-to-face classes to resume.

This encouraged the HIN’s ESCAPE-pain team to find new ways of supporting ESCAPE-pain sites. The HIN’s ESCAPE-pain team has offered ongoing support to sites willing to pilot the virtual delivery in many ways including; bespoke email and telephone support, technical and information governance support, webinars and linking experience providers with newer sites.

Twenty-three organisations are delivering ESCAPE-pain over thirty-two different sites. In total they have delivered/are delivering fifty-seven programmes.

Several sites have fed back that virtual delivery of ESCAPE-pain has provided an opportunity to explore and inform changes to other services.

Waiting lists for the ESCAPE-pain programme reduced as people have booked onto these classes. The HIN’s ESCAPE-pain team continue to support ESCAPE-pain sites that are exploring virtual delivery by providing bespoke one-to-one assistance.