Adaptation of the Welsh National Exercise Referral Scheme (NERS) to virtual delivery: Evaluation of impact and opportunities (PHIRST Connect)

Aim

To examine the impact of using face-to-face or/or virtual modes of delivery for NERS in order to support future decision making about programme implementation. Research questions

1. What are stakeholder views and experiences of NERS when delivered in face-to-face and/or virtual formats, how do they compare, and what are the implications for programme uptake, engagement, and delivery? 2. Does offering a version of NERS in which some elements may be delivered virtually affect service-user uptake?

3. Does implementing different versions of NERS, in which either some or all elements are delivered virtually affect service-user engagement?

4. Does implementing different versions of NERS, in which either some or all elements are delivered virtually, affect service user retention?

5. Does implementing different versions of NERS, in which either some or all elements are delivered virtually, affect health and wellbeing outcomes?

6. What are the expected resources and corresponding costs (including impact on service user out-of-pocket expenses) of delivering core parts of the NERS programme, and do they differ for face-to-face and virtual delivery? Study design overview

This is a mixed methods study. Research questions will be answered using existing, routinely collected monitoring and evaluation data collected by the NERS programme, and additional qualitative data. The work will be organised across four workstreams as follows: • Workstream 1: Qualitative process evaluation with service providers

• Workstream 2: Qualitative process evaluation with service users • Workstream 3: Quantitative outcome and health economic analysis • Workstream 4: Data synthesis and dissemination