TY - JOUR
AU - S. Stannard
AU - R. Wilkinson
AU - J. K. Gill
AU - J. McMahon
AU - J. Welch
AU - S. D. S. Fraser
AU - N. A. Alwan
A1 - 
AB - INTRODUCTION: The MELD-B project is a multidisciplinary research consortium with one of its aims focused on identifying childhood targets for the prevention of multiple long-term conditions (MLTCs). Drawing upon the expertise of policy and practice stakeholders can inform research questions, data analysis, and contribute to meaningful and practical outputs. In pursuit of this collaborative approach, a stakeholder workshop, co-designed with people with lived experience, was conducted to inform the next steps of the early prevention workstream of the MELD-B project. METHODS: The research team worked with four public contributors to co-design the workshop in terms of its aims and structure. This involved utilising a project-specific animation and developing an imaginary persona to illustrate the life-course concepts of MLTCs, with an emphasis on how early life factors can influence outcomes later in life. Stakeholders were divided into three groups, each with a mix of professions and facilitated by two team members. Jamboard (an online interactive whiteboard) was used to collate ideas, and overarching themes were identified. A poll was administered at the end of the workshop giving choices to prioritise time points for interventions. RESULTS: 25 stakeholders with policy and practice expertise of childhood attended the workshop. Stakeholders were from backgrounds including integrated care boards (n = 5), healthcare practitioners (n = 3), academics (n = 4), council employees (n = 9) and not-for-profit organisations (n = 4). The workshop aimed to identify critical time points and targets in the early life-course for feasible and practical interventions to prevent or delay MLTCs. Themes discussed included: mental health, educational attainment, early identification of health conditions and neurodiversity, nutritional choices, transitional periods, the virtual world, and intermediate outcomes on the pathway to future ill health. Stakeholders suggested that family-targeted interventions were important to prioritise in early childhood; however, at secondary school age individual-focused interventions may become more significant. A poll identified birth and ages 5-7 and 10-11 as the most important time points for interventions. CONCLUSIONS: People with lived experience should have central roles in shaping research questions, prioritising problems and engaging with stakeholders. Our workshop identified priority themes to inform prevention interventions using routinely collected and national cohort data. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: The research team worked with four public contributors to co-design the workshop in terms of its aims and structure. Public contributions helped to identify stakeholders to invite to the workshop and co-produced PowerPoint slides to guide the workshop. In addition, the workshop utilised a co-produced project-specific animation and imaginary persona to help frame our research. Public contributors attended the workshop and helped to facilitate discussions by providing their own lived experience. Following the workshop, public contributors reviewed the themes identified by the research team from the discussions within the workshop. Finally, public contributors have also been involved in dissemination of the findings from this study, including this paper. Two of the public contributors are named co-authors on this paper, and two did not wish to be named as co-authors.
AD - School of Primary Care, Population Sciences and Medical Education, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.; NIHR Applied Research Collaboration, Southampton, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.; Southampton City Council, Southampton, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.; Public Policy, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.; University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.; University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
AN - 41133911
BT - Health Expect
C5 - Healthcare Disparities
CP - 5
DA - Oct
DO - 10.1111/hex.70475
DP - NLM
IS - 5
JF - Health Expect
LA - eng
N2 - INTRODUCTION: The MELD-B project is a multidisciplinary research consortium with one of its aims focused on identifying childhood targets for the prevention of multiple long-term conditions (MLTCs). Drawing upon the expertise of policy and practice stakeholders can inform research questions, data analysis, and contribute to meaningful and practical outputs. In pursuit of this collaborative approach, a stakeholder workshop, co-designed with people with lived experience, was conducted to inform the next steps of the early prevention workstream of the MELD-B project. METHODS: The research team worked with four public contributors to co-design the workshop in terms of its aims and structure. This involved utilising a project-specific animation and developing an imaginary persona to illustrate the life-course concepts of MLTCs, with an emphasis on how early life factors can influence outcomes later in life. Stakeholders were divided into three groups, each with a mix of professions and facilitated by two team members. Jamboard (an online interactive whiteboard) was used to collate ideas, and overarching themes were identified. A poll was administered at the end of the workshop giving choices to prioritise time points for interventions. RESULTS: 25 stakeholders with policy and practice expertise of childhood attended the workshop. Stakeholders were from backgrounds including integrated care boards (n = 5), healthcare practitioners (n = 3), academics (n = 4), council employees (n = 9) and not-for-profit organisations (n = 4). The workshop aimed to identify critical time points and targets in the early life-course for feasible and practical interventions to prevent or delay MLTCs. Themes discussed included: mental health, educational attainment, early identification of health conditions and neurodiversity, nutritional choices, transitional periods, the virtual world, and intermediate outcomes on the pathway to future ill health. Stakeholders suggested that family-targeted interventions were important to prioritise in early childhood; however, at secondary school age individual-focused interventions may become more significant. A poll identified birth and ages 5-7 and 10-11 as the most important time points for interventions. CONCLUSIONS: People with lived experience should have central roles in shaping research questions, prioritising problems and engaging with stakeholders. Our workshop identified priority themes to inform prevention interventions using routinely collected and national cohort data. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: The research team worked with four public contributors to co-design the workshop in terms of its aims and structure. Public contributions helped to identify stakeholders to invite to the workshop and co-produced PowerPoint slides to guide the workshop. In addition, the workshop utilised a co-produced project-specific animation and imaginary persona to help frame our research. Public contributors attended the workshop and helped to facilitate discussions by providing their own lived experience. Following the workshop, public contributors reviewed the themes identified by the research team from the discussions within the workshop. Finally, public contributors have also been involved in dissemination of the findings from this study, including this paper. Two of the public contributors are named co-authors on this paper, and two did not wish to be named as co-authors.
PY - 2025
SN - 1369-6513 (Print); 1369-6513
SP - e70475
ST - A Co-Produced Stakeholder Workshop to Identify Key Time Points and Targets for Life-Course Prevention of Multiple Long-Term Conditions
T1 - A Co-Produced Stakeholder Workshop to Identify Key Time Points and Targets for Life-Course Prevention of Multiple Long-Term Conditions
T2 - Health Expect
TI - A Co-Produced Stakeholder Workshop to Identify Key Time Points and Targets for Life-Course Prevention of Multiple Long-Term Conditions
U1 - Healthcare Disparities
U3 - 10.1111/hex.70475
VL - 28
VO - 1369-6513 (Print); 1369-6513
Y1 - 2025
ER -