The Buddy Pilot Scheme
In September 2003 three teams of Buddies met at the MS National Centre for a training day for a brand new pilot scheme at the MS Society, involving people affected by MS in its research programme. The experiences of all those involved in the pilot scheme have been taken on board and informed the roll out of the Buddy Programme.
Three projects were piloted in the Buddy Scheme
These projects were covered:
- Developing physiotherapy services for people with MS
- Interaction of molecules involved in remyelination
- The role of signalling molecules in the development of MS
The briefing day at the MS National Centre gave Buddies the chance to meet other team members and discuss their roles and responsibilities. It also gave people the opportunity to discuss the challenges facing them and how to overcome them - for example, translating scientific jargon and assessing progress in research – and to plan their first meeting with the researchers.
The researchers provided a progress report ahead of the first meeting, to form the basis of the discussions during the site visit. The Buddy Teams were then asked to write a report for the MS Society on the outcome of the meeting and progress to date.
Next steps
The involvement of people affected by MS in the research process has already been widely welcomed by researchers and healthcare professionals in the MS field. The reaction from the researchers taking part in the Buddy pilot scheme was equally enthusiastic.Professor Nicola Woodroofe at Sheffield Hallam University reported "A real benefit of the Buddy Scheme has been for researchers in the lab here. Some of the younger people aren't familiar with MS and the disease they're working on. They're much more aware now of the symptoms and how they can be so different. Meeting people with MS has been a real motivator."
Sarah Bittlestone was Buddy Team Leader of the Newcastle project and was also very enthusiastic about the programme, commenting "Our project visit was a fascinating experience, with the initial trepidation felt by both buddies and researchers quickly dispelled by our mutual interest in the project. The enthusiasm and dedication of the project team was obvious and it was fascinating to observe a project closely, discovering how obstacles had been overcome, and the project itself had evolved in order to achieve its goals. I thoroughly enjoyed the afternoon."
