Primary Care & Health Sciences

I qualified from the Queen Elizabeth School of Physiotherapy, Birmingham in 1988. I have worked in both secondary and primary care physiotherapy services and have undertaken many post graduate courses in the management of musculoskeletal disease. In 1999 I was appointed as a Lecture Practitioner at the School of Health and Rehabilitation here at Keele University. This allowed me to develop my teaching skills, undertake a national teaching qualification and complete an M.Phil.

I have been in my current role as a Consultant Physiotherapist since 2002. This post includes expert clinical practice, research, education, service redesign and clinical leadership. I am very fortunate to hold sessions within the University Hospital of North Staffordshire, Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent NHS Partnership Trust, The School of Health and Rehabilitation and the Arthritis Research UK Primary Care Centre. I also hold an Honorary Lectureship within The School of Health and Rehabilitation.

My clinical role involves delivering clinical sessions and providing clinical leadership within the Musculoskeletal Interface Service. This innovative service manages over 10,000 patients per year with non surgical musculoskeletal disease. It has been highlighted by the Department of Heath as an exemplar of Best Practice

I enjoy keeping fit by playing squash and golf. I am current training for my first triathlon. I also enjoy travelling, socialising, scuba diving, dancing and walking my lovely dog ‘Bollie’.

My MPhil focused on the concept of evidence based practice and how to best change clinicians behaviour in light of best evidence. This interest led to the development and leadership of a multidisciplinary group whose main aim is to search for the best available evidence to inform practice. The group has developed 33 clinical recommendations, and has published their work nationally and have presented at international conferences.

The web address is http://www.keele.ac.uk/ebp/mrfgroup/aimsofthegroup/

The group has also been involved in the joint development of three randomised trails which followed as a result of the process.

I am part of a team that is researching the types of patients that are seen in our Musculoskeletal Interface Service. We are interested in clinical outcomes, describing the factors that affect risk of developing chronicity and exploring the effect of our treatment interventions.

Selected publications

• Stevenson K Lewis M Hay EM (2004) Do Physiotherapist’s attitudes towards evidence based practice change as a result of an evidence based educational programme? Journal of Clinical Evaluation 10,2 p207-217

• Stevenson K Roddy E Jordan K (2010) Clinicians in clinical assessment and treatment services (CATs)- Is there consistency across professions in assessment diagnosis and management- accepted for poster presentation British Society of Rheumatology Birmingham April 2010

• E Roddy, I Zwierska, P Dawes, S Hider, KP Jordan, J Packham, K Stevenson and E Hay Title : The Staffordshire Arthritis, Musculoskeletal, and Back Assessment (SAMBA) Study: a prospective observational study of patient outcome following referral to a primary-secondary care musculoskeletal interface service BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders 2010 April 8 11:67

• Kay Stevenson, Edward Roddy, Kelvin Jordan Clinicians in clinical assessments and treatments services (CATS)- is there consistency across professions in assessment diagnosis and management? (2010) In Proceeding British Society of Rheumatology Birmingham

• K Stevenson S Ryan Nurse and Allied Health Professional Consultants: Perceptions and experiences of the role Journal of Clinical Nursing February 2011

• K Stevenson Integrating the consultant physiotherapists role within a musculoskeletal interface service Musculoskeletal care 9 2011 49-55

• Jordan J, Stevenson K, Lewis R 2011 Simple ‘quick’ searches to answer questions arising in clinical practice In Proceedings Cochrane colloquium Madrid Oct 2011

All publications

• Dziedzic K Sim J Hiller L Ainsworth B Stevenson K Hay EM A survey to determine the standard physiotherapy treatment for a randomised trial of the long term effectiveness of local steroid injection versus physiotherapy for shoulder pain. In proceedings for 14^th European League Against Rheumatism. June 1999.

• Stevenson K Chadwick A Garbutt S A National Survey of Lecturer Practitioners. In the Proceedings of The Chartered Society Of Physiotherapy Congress 1999

• Dziedzic K Sim J Hiller L Ainsworth B Stevenson K Hay EM A survey to determine the standard physiotherapy treatment for a randomised trial of the long term effectiveness of local steroid injection versus physiotherapy for shoulder pain. In proceedings for 14^th European League Against Rheumatism. June 1999.

• Stevenson K Hay EMH A quasi experimental study to investigate the change in physiotherapists attitude and clinical practice following an evidence based training programme on the management of low back pain. March 2000:In the proceedings of The Forth International Forum for Primary Care Research on Low Back Pain, Israel.

• Stevenson K Hay EMH A quasi experimental study to investigate the change in physiotherapists attitude and clinical practice following an evidence based training programme on the management of low back pain. April 2001:In the proceedings of British Society of Health Professionals in Rheumatology Edinburgh.

• Stevenson K  General Practitioners’ views of a Physiotherapy led Back Pain Service. October 2001: In the Proceedings of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy Congress.

• Stevenson K  General Practitioners’ and Physiotherapists’ views of a Physiotherapy led Back Pain Service. November 2001: In the Proceedings of the Back Pain Research Society.

• Stevenson K Hay EM (2002) A survey of general practitioners’ and physiotherapists’ views on a physiotherapy lead back pain service (StABS): In the proceedings of British Society of Health Professionals in Rheumatology Brighton.

• Stevenson K The aims and achievements of a consultant allied health professional in musculoskeletal disease October 2002 In the Proceedings of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy Congress.

• Stevenson K Jackson S How a consultant allied health professional in musculoskeletal disease is being used to deliver the NHS modernisation agenda. October 2002 In the Proceedings of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy Congress.

• Stevenson K Lewis M Hay EM (2003) Do opinion leaders exist in clinical practice. In the proceedings of British Society of Health Professionals in Rheumatology Manchester.

• Stevenson K A New Dawn- Consultant Therapists in Musculoskeletal Disease (2003) Musculoskeletal Health Care August.

• Stevenson K Lewis M Hay EM (2003) Do physiotherapist attitudes and clinical practice change as a result of an evidence based educational programme. In proceedings of World Congress Physical Therapists Barcelona.

• Stevenson K Hay EM Woodfint J Austerberry N Jackson R (2003) An audit to examine the healthcare utilisation of patients with low back pain following an episode of care in a physiotherapy led back pain service. In proceedings of World Congress Physical Therapists Barcelona.

• Stevenson K Lewis M Hay EM (2004) Do Physiotherapist’s attitudes towards evidence based practice change as a result of an evidence based educational programme? Journal of Clinical Evaluation 10,2 p207-217

• Stevenson K (2004) A Review of a Consultant Physiotherapists first year in post. In the proceedings of British Society of Health Professionals in Rheumatology Edinburgh.

• Stevenson K Lewis M Hay EM (2004) An integrated carepathway for the management of low back pain Physiotherapy 90 p91-96

• Stevenson K Hunter SM Chadwick AV (2004) A national survey of lecturer-practitioners in physiotherapy. Physiotherapy 90 p139-144.

• Stevenson K Lewis M Hay EM (2004) Does Physiotherapy management of low back pain change as a result of an evidence based educational programme Journal of Clinical Evaluation In press

• Stevenson K (2005) Utilizing the expert skills of clinicians, researchers and information technology (IT) librarians to answer clinically relevant question in the musculoskeletal field In the Proceedings of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy Congress Birmingham

• Stevenson K and Waterfield J (2005) Providing specialist clinical skills in soft tissue and intra-articular injection through a post graduate Masters module Musculoskeletal Care 3 168-175 BSR 2004

• Stevenson K The changing role of the physiotherapist (2005) Midlands Medicine 23;5 p203- 5

• Stevenson K Packham JC Dawes PT (2005) Experiences of two innovative musculoskeletal multidisciplinary learning events In the proceedings of British Society of Health Professionals in Rheumatology Edinburgh.

• Stevenson K Waterfield J (2005) Providing specialist clinical skills in soft tissue and intra-articular injection through a postgraduate masters module Musculoskeletal Care 3: 168-175

• Stevenson K Evidenced based review of shoulder pain (2006) Musculoskeletal Care 4; 4: 233-239

• Stevenson K, Bird L Sarigiovannis P Dziedzic K Foster NE Grahame C (2007) A new multidisciplinary Approach to integrating best evidence into musculoskeletal practice. Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice (online early articles)

• Ryan S Stevenson K Hassell A (2007) Assessment of clinical nurse specialists in rheumatology nursing using an OSCE Musculoskeletal Care 5(2) 119-129

• Stevenson K (2007) An innovative approach to integrating evidence into musculoskeletal practice using a multidisciplinary group of clinicians researchers and information technology librarians: In Proceedings World Confederation of Physical Therapists Vancouver Canada

• Stevenson K Hellis N (2009) Measuring quality in a musculoskeletal secondary care unit: In Proceeding of Chartered Society of Physiotherapy Congress Liverpool

• Stevenson K Ryan S Masterson A (2009) Has the role of the Therapy/Nurse consultant changed over the last decade? In Proceeding of Chartered Society of Physiotherapy Congress Liverpool

• Dziedzic K Stevenson K Thomas E Sim J Hay E (2009) Development and implementation of a physiotherapy intervention for use in a randomized controlled trial in primary Car Musculoskeletal Care 7 (2) 67-77

• Stevenson K Chapter 1 – Physiotherapy In: Rheumatology Evidence based Practice for Physiotherapist and Occupational Therapists- In press

• Stevenson K Ryan S Masterson A Nurse and allied health professional consultants: perception and experiences of the role – submitted Jan 2010 to Journal of Clinical Nursing

• Roddy E Zwierska I, Dawes P, Hider S, Jordan K, Packham J, Stevenson K, Hay E, The Staffordshire Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Back Assessment (SAMBA) Study: a prospective observational study of patient outcome following a referral to a primary secondary care musculoskeletal interface Submitted to Biomedical Central Feb 2010-02-18

• Stevenson K Roddy E Jordan K (2010) Clinicians in clinical assessment and treatment services (CATs)- Is there consistency across professions in assessment diagnosis and management- accepted for poster presentation British Society of Rheumatology Birmingham April 2010

• E Roddy, I Zwierska, P Dawes, S Hider, KP Jordan, J Packham, K Stevenson and E Hay Title  : The Staffordshire Arthritis, Musculoskeletal, and Back Assessment (SAMBA) Study: a prospective observational study of patient outcome following referral to a primary-secondary care musculoskeletal interface service BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders 2010 April 8 11:67

• Kay Stevenson, Edward Roddy, Kelvin Jordan Clinicians in clinical assessments and treatments services (CATS)- is there consistency across professions in assessment diagnosis and management? (2010) In Proceeding British Society of Rheumatology Birmingham

• JL Jordan, K Stevenson, RC Lewis & DAWM van der Windt Answering questions put forward by local clinicians in the UK  Submitted to Cochrane Collaboration Colloquium (18-22 Oct, Keystone Colorado)

• K Stevenson, N Hellis, K Dziedzic, J Jordan NE Foster Integrating evidence, changing practice and closing the research-knowledge gap: An example of how UK clinicians are tackling the issues. Submitted to The Joanna Briggs Institute 2010 International Colloquium Chicago September 13-15

• K Stevenson S Ryan Nurse and Allied Health Professional Consultants: Perceptions and experiences of the role Journal of Clinical Nursing February 2011

• K Stevenson Integrating the consultant physiotherapists role within a musculoskeletal interface service Musculoskeletal care 9 2011 49-55

• Jordan J, Stevenson K, Lewis R 2011 Simple ‘quick’ searches to answer questions arising in clinical practice In Proceedings Cochrane colloquium Madrid Oct 2011

I have jointly developed and continue to deliver a masters level module on Soft Tissue and Intra-articular Joint Injections. This module, is organised by the School of Health and Rehabilitation, Keele University, has successfully trained over 200 physiotherapists and nurses to deliver this mode of treatment in clinical practice

I have also developed a master’s module to support practitioners who wish to develop additional musculoskeletal assessment skills in the clinical environment (Musculoskeletal Management at the Interface). The module is aimed at general practitioners and physiotherapists.

I deliver sessions on master’s modules on physical examination to rheumatology nurse specialists and assist in the deliver of evidence based practice modules within the Centre.

I co-ordinate training for clinicians who work within our Musculoskeletal Interface service to ensure the delivery of the  highest standards of clinical care and regularly deliver training sessions to local physiotherapists on aspects of clinical management.

I co-ordinate and lecture on an annual Best Practice day for Allied Health Professionals. This aims to share innovation in the areas of clinical practice, research and service redesign.

• Editorial Board member of Musculoskeletal Matters and Midland Medicine Journals

• I co-ordinate our local ARMA group (Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Alliance)

• Vice Chair of the Haywood Foundation Charity