The Leeds NIHR Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) are excited to launch a new research programme: Digital – My Arm Pain Programme, D-MAPP.
The project has been awarded £2.5 million by NIHR and Versus Arthritis to design and test a digital intervention to support people living with painful conditions of the elbow, forearm, wrist and hand.
Led by researchers at the University of Leeds, the D-MAPP project team are looking to improve how painful conditions of the elbow, forearm, wrist and hand are managed by developing a website with a range of self-management features.
Dr Sarah Kingsbury, Associate Professor and Musculoskeletal Strategic Lead at the University of Leeds said: “We want to be guided by the experiences of the wide range of health professionals supporting people living with these conditions.
Whether your experience is in physiotherapy, medicine, surgery or occupational health, the project team are keen to hear about your experiences. D-MAPP draws on previous research and expert opinion to develop a package of care for our target conditions, including hand and thumb osteoarthritis, tendonitis, tennis and golfers’ elbow, carpal tunnel syndrome and non-specific arm pain.”
Over the next six years, researchers from the University of Leeds, Keele University, the University of Southampton and the University of Aberdeen will explore people’s lived experiences of these conditions. This work will be vital in shaping the intervention and ensuring it meets the needs of those affected by these conditions.
The team will be working with healthcare professionals from a range of disciplines to ensure the final product could form part of their practice within the NHS. This will include advice on managing pain and a condition-specific exercise programme. Expertise through lived experience will be vital in shaping the intervention developed and guiding how the research is carried out.
The project launch event took place on Tuesday 8 February. At the event, the D-MAPP team discussed the importance of this research and how experts will guide them throughout this research programme.
Presenters at the event
- Professor Philip Conaghan, D-MAPP Principal Investigator and Director, Leeds Institute of Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Medicine
- Lucy Brading: D-MAPP Research Fellow
- Kathleen Kane: D-MAPP Research Assistant
Recruitment to D-MAPP is open.
Whether you are a healthcare professional with experience of managing these conditions, or you are living with a painful condition of the elbow, forearm, wrist or hand yourself, the D-MAPP team would like to hear from you.
Find out more about D-MAPP
Email: D-MAPP@leeds.ac.uk