We are extremely grateful to all who contributed and supported this study as stakeholders and participants through engagement in workshops, interviews and meetings across the life of the project.
We would also like to acknowledge the contribution and support of the Lab4Living research team at Sheffield Hallam University:
Chris Redford, who created the illustrations, storyboard and the graphics for the co-designed intervention resources, all of which were imperative to the progress and outcome of this project.
Rebecca Partridge, who was involved in developing and facilitating the overarching creative participatory processes, including the theory-building stage and the co-design stage.
Remi Bec, who developed and facilitated the games and participatory activities for the co-design and knowledge mobilisation workshops, and Gemma Wheeler, who also facilitated a co-design workshop.
We would like to thank the following members of the study external Project Advisory Group for their ongoing support, oversight and perspectives: Adrian Edwards (chairperson), Robert Van Deursen, Julie Richardson, Asan Akpan, Jeanette Thom, Malcolm Ward, Louise Williams, Freya Davies, Andrea Hughes and Alan D Pryce.
The authors would like to thank Philip Bell, who was a co-applicant and gave valuable insight from a public and patient perspective during the early stages of this project.
For support with research delivery, we would like to thank Health and Care Research Wales and the North West Coast Clinical Research Network.
From the North Wales Centre for Primary Care Research, School of Health Sciences at Bangor University, we would like to acknowledge and thank:
Annie Hendry and Matthew Jones for their help preparing the final report.
Natasha Hulley, Nicola Nikolic and Richard Evans for their ongoing administrative support throughout the project.
Finally, we are grateful to the anonymous reviewers whose critical reading and constructive comments have helped to strengthen and clarify this report.
Ethics approval
Ethics approval was received from the Healthcare and Medical Sciences Academic Ethics Committee (reference 2018–16308) and from the NHS Wales Research Ethics Committee 5 (references 256729 and 262726).
Contributions of authors
Rebecca-Jane Law (https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1435-5086) (Co-chief Investigator, Research Officer) was principal author and original co-applicant, overall study lead and researcher, responsible for drafting and revising content critically for important intellectual content, led the collection and interpretation of data, and provided final approval of the version to be published.
Joseph Langley (https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9770-8720) (Co-investigator, Senior Research Fellow in Healthcare Innovation) was an original co-applicant and responsible for the co-design elements of the study (Chapters 2 and 3, in particular), provided substantial contribution to the collection and interpretation of data, was responsible for drafting and revising content critically for important intellectual content, and provided final approval of the version to be published.
Beth Hall (https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4980-3720) (Co-investigator, Academic Support Librarian) was an original co-applicant and conducted systematic and purposive literature searches, gave methodological advice on evidence synthesis, provided substantial contribution to the collection and interpretation of data, was responsible for drafting and revising content critically for important intellectual content (Chapter 2, in particular), and provided final approval of the version to be published.
Christopher Burton (https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1159-1494) (Co-investigator, Professor of Health Services Research) was an original co-applicant and gave advice on realist methods, implementation and rehabilitation, provided substantial contribution to the interpretation of data, was responsible for drafting and revising content critically for important intellectual content (Chapter 3, in particular), and provided final approval of the version to be published.
Julia Hiscock (https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8963-2981) (Co-investigator, Research Fellow and Medical Sociologist) was an original co-applicant and gave a sociological perspective and advice on qualitative methods, provided substantial contribution to the collection and interpretation of data, was responsible for drafting and revising content critically for important intellectual content, and provided final approval of the version to be published.
Lynne Williams (https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2575-9710) (Co-investigator, Reader) was an original co-applicant and gave a nursing perspective and advice on realist methods, contributed to the interpretation of data, was responsible for drafting and revising content critically for important intellectual content, and provided final approval of the version to be published.
Val Morrison (https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4308-8976) (Co-investigator, Professor of Psychology) was an original co-applicant, provided advice from a health psychology perspective on physical activity for people with long-term conditions, contributed to the collection and interpretation of data, was responsible for drafting and revising content critically for important intellectual content, and provided final approval of the version to be published.
Andrew B Lemmey (https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1667-4539) (Co-investigator, Professor of Clinical Exercise Physiology) was an original co-applicant, provided advice on physical activity for people with long-term conditions, contributed to the collection and interpretation of data, was responsible for drafting and revising content critically for important intellectual content, and provided final approval of the version to be published.
Candida Lovell-Smith (Co-investigator, public research partner) was an original co-applicant, provided advice from a public perspective on physical activity for people with long-term conditions, contributed to the development of public-facing materials and the collection and interpretation of data, helped draft and revise content critically for important intellectual content, and provided final approval of the version to be published.
John Gallanders (Co-investigator, public research partner) advised from a public perspective on physical activity for people with long-term conditions, contributed substantially to analysis workshops and the collection and interpretation of data, was responsible for drafting and revising content critically for important intellectual content, and provided final approval of the version to be published.
Jennifer Cooney (https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9828-8000) (Lecturer in Sports Physiology) advised from a sports physiology perspective, contributed substantially to the collection and interpretation of data, was responsible for drafting and revising content critically for important intellectual content, and provided final approval of the version to be published.
Nefyn H Williams (https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8078-409X) (Co-Chief Investigator, Professor in Primary Care) advised from a general practice perspective, provided support for the new Co-chief Investigator, contributed substantially to the collection and interpretation of data, was responsible for drafting and revising content critically for important intellectual content, and provided final approval of the version to be published.
Publications
Law RJ, Williams L, Langley J, Burton C, Hall B, Hiscock J, et al. ‘Function First-Be Active, Stay Independent’ – promoting physical activity and physical function in people with long-term conditions by primary care: a protocol for a realist synthesis with embedded co-production and co-design. BMJ Open 2020;10:e035686.
Law RJ, Langley J, Hall B, Burton C, Hiscock J, Williams L, et al. ‘Function First’: how to promote physical activity and physical function in people with long-term conditions managed in primary care? A study combining realist and co-design methods. BMJ Open 2021;11:e046751.
Data-sharing statement
This is an evidence synthesis involving qualitative data collection and, therefore, the data generated is not suitable for sharing beyond that contained within the report. Further information can be obtained from the corresponding author.
Patient data
This work uses data provided by patients and collected by the NHS as part of their care and support. Using patient data is vital to improve health and care for everyone. There is huge potential to make better use of information from people’s patient records, to understand more about disease, develop new treatments, monitor safety, and plan NHS services. Patient data should be kept safe and secure, to protect everyone’s privacy, and it’s important that there are safeguards to make sure that it is stored and used responsibly. Everyone should be able to find out about how patient data are used. #datasaveslives You can find out more about the background to this citation here: https://understandingpatientdata.org.uk/data-citation.
Disclaimers
This report presents independent research funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). The views and opinions expressed by authors in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the NHS, the NIHR, NETSCC, the HS&DR programme or the Department of Health and Social Care. If there are verbatim quotations included in this publication the views and opinions expressed by the interviewees are those of the interviewees and do not necessarily reflect those of the authors, those of the NHS, the NIHR, NETSCC, the HS&DR programme or the Department of Health and Social Care.
