The Let’s Talk Differently about Medicines (LTDAM) stories were co-authored by Professor Deborah Swinglehurst and Dr Nina Fudge, based on research they conducted between 2016 and 2021 at Queen Mary University of London (QMUL).
In the APOLLO-MM project (Addressing the Polypharmacy Challenge in Older People with Multimorbidity) they studied 24 people for up to two years. The research participants were aged 65 or older and had been prescribed ten or more different items of regular medication. The researchers interviewed these people, visited them regularly at home, and went with them to medical appointments. They also filmed some of these medical consultations. In addition, they spent many hours observing and talking with health professionals in three general practices and four community pharmacies.
As part of the project, Deborah and Nina worked closely with Dr Alison Thomson (QMUL) who led a co-design project, with members of PenPEG (Peninsula Public Engagement Group) to build this collection of stories. The characters, names and stories are fictional but inspired by encounters with research participants and findings from the APOLLO-MM study.
Since writing these stories, Deborah, Nina and Alison have collaborated with Care City Innovation CIC to develop a Facilitator Guide. This guide is for anyone who would like to facilitate the sharing of these stories with others in a group setting. It is based on Care City’s experience and learning from delivering and evaluating 14 LTDAM story-sharing sessions involving 126 people across North East London.
Download the full collection of stories
