Healthcare Professionals
Why an intensive PMP? Isn’t it just ‘more of the same’?
Moving away from a face-to-face, residential model during the Covid-19 pandemic forced us to think about what it is that we offer beyond this previously unique aspect. After all, if your local service already offers an online PMP, what is the ‘extra’ that we offer as an online, intensive PMP?
The obvious answer is, as the name suggests, ‘intensity’, but what does that mean? The two main components are time and scope for individual input to complement the group sessions. Most outpatient PMPs run for around 30 or so hours, while our intensive PMP offers close to 100 hours. From a staff perspective this gives us more time to introduce a variety of strategies, as well as support patients individually in applying these strategies. From a patient point of view there is more time to practice new strategies, learn what helps and what doesn’t, and refine these strategies to come up with a sustainable approach that will work for them in the long term. Catching up with patients individually gives staff the opportunity to guide this process of refinement.
Ultimately, there is nothing complicated or surprising in the ACT / CBT models we base our PMPs on. It’s easy to know what we should do to better manage our pain, and most patients already have a fair idea by the time they come to us. But there can be a huge gulf between knowing something and putting that knowledge into practice. This is where PMPs come in – we can help patients bridge this divide through practice in a supportive environment. An intensive PMP simply allows more practice and more support for those who need it.
Links (see tabs above for more choices)