LTC101 - Interprofessional Learning in Long Term Chronic Conditions
We have developed, in collaboration with staff from the Warwick Medical School, a 12 week e-learning interprofessional module for the Long Term Conditions (LTCs) workforce in the West Midlands NHS. This on-line programme has been designed to provide the knowledge and skills required to drive change in the delivery of care for patients with LTCs in line with Lord Darzi’s recommendations. Currently, the module is being piloted by two West Midlands NHS Primary Care Trusts (PCTs): Telford & Wrekin and South Staffordshire and we are in discussions for rolling this programme out to all 17 PCTs within the NHS West Midlands region.
Long Term Conditions (LTCs) are those disorders that are not routinely curable but that may be controlled by medication and/or other therapies[1]. Common LTCs include heart disease, stroke, diabetes, chronic respiratory conditions, musculoskeletal conditions, multiple-sclerosis, epilepsy, mental health issues and cancers. At least 15% of people living in the West Midlands have LTCs[2]. Many of these will have multiple conditions and with an ageing demographic this figure is set to increase over time.
Lord Darzi in his NHS Next Stage Review[3] recommended that everyone with a LTC has a ‘personalised care plan’ tailored to their individual needs. To do this effectively requires a shift of health care services into primary care. Health communities need to ensure that their workforces have the right knowledge and skills to equip them to deliver the changes required for this ‘patient-led’ approach. The ‘Investing for Health Strategy’ developed by NHS West Midlands includes an approach to educating all healthcare and voluntary staff across the region at all levels who work with clients with LTCs through the provision of an e-learning programme.
LTC101 – Interprofessional Learning in Long Term Chronic Conditions: Programme:
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Week 1: Introduction to the module and learning resources.·
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Week 2: Exploring referral.·
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Week 3: Local, regional and national incidence.·
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Week 4: Looking at the evidence.·
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Week 5: Looking at clinical guidelines.·
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Week 6: Sharing, disseminating and sustaining best practice.·
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Week 7: Personalised care plans.·
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Week 8: Expert patient programmes.·
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Week 9: Motivational change techniques.·
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Week 10: Carer support and information.·
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Week 11: Partnership working.·
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Week 12: Final programme evaluation.
Intended Module Learning Outcomes:
- Demonstrate awareness of the prevalence, disease burden and clinical indicators of a range of long term conditions and insight into national, regional and local differences in occurrence and commissioning.
- Demonstrate understanding of evidence-based outcomes and be able to access and appraise a variety of sources of evidence, including clinical guidelines.
- Discuss how ‘best practice’ is arrived at and how it can be promoted, shared and sustained through interprofessional partnership working and networking.
- Demonstrate ability to communicate effectively with the interprofessional team, service users and carers to enable the production of personalised care plans for service users with a LTC.
- Discuss service user empowerment, interventions promoting self-care and carer support mechanisms such as telehealth that acknowledge the patient’s central role in interprofessional care.
- Conduct a workplace audit, including an action plan for instigating change, which explores service provision for those living with LTCs.
It is intended that this 20 credit module will be accredited at Masters level, although participants can opt to receive a certificate of completion.
[1] Raising the Profile of Long Term Conditions Care: A compendium of Information, Department of Health, 2008
[2] Our NHS, Our Future – NHS Next Stage Review, Long Tem Conditions Clinical Pathway Group Report, NHS West Midlands, 2008
[3] NHS Next Stage Review Final Report - High Quality Care For All (Department of Health, 2008