Clinical best practice

Health Services Improvement

Health Services Improvement is dedicated to supporting professionals in improving musculoskeletal (MSK) services. It provides a catalogue of "Stories of Change"—real-world examples from across the UK that detail how colleagues are innovating to deliver better patient care. Use this resource to learn about effective interventions and discover ideas that could work in your area.

Keele University Critically Appraised Topics

Critically Appraised Topics (CATs) are a valuable resource for busy health and care professionals. This page links to a collection of CATs from Keele University, which provides concise, evidence-based summaries to help you answer specific clinical questions and inform your daily practice.

MSK-HQ

The MSK-HQ (Musculoskeletal Health Questionnaire) is a short questionnaire designed for people with musculoskeletal conditions like arthritis or back pain. Developed by Keele University and the University of Oxford, it allows patients to report their symptoms and quality of life in a standardised way.

The tool helps patients and clinicians monitor progress and response to treatment over time. Its goal is to provide a holistic measure of musculoskeletal health, similar to how blood pressure is used for cardiovascular health or HbA1c for diabetes. The MSK-HQ is available for free non-commercial use, but a copyright license from Oxford University Innovations is required.

 

Impact in numbers

Our training session delivers tangible results. Our delegates reported significant improvements to their skills, knowledge, and confidence in MSK care.

The average total data from our Core Skills in Musculoskeletal Care, delegates reported a:

  • 50% improvement in knowledge of musculoskeletal conditions
  • 44% improvement in examination skills
  • 37% increase in confidence in diagnosing and treating MSK conditions.

Our training sessions are also highly regarded with 93% of all attendees reporting that they would recommend the training to others.