02890656576

A new initiative, aimed at helping people with complex long term conditions, will train GPs, nurses, and other clinicians, via video conference, to provide specialised care to patients in their local community.

Originally developed in New Mexico, Project ECHO® builds groups of clinical professionals which can provide complex care to patients in their local community and reduce the number of referrals made to specialist clinics and other centres.

Funded by the Health and Social Care Board, Project ECHO®Northern Ireland plans to run 30 different networks this year facilitated by the Northern Ireland Hospice ECHO team across the region.

 

Professor Max Watson

The project aims to bring GPs and other clinicians together using videoconferencing to participate in guided practice discussions with specialist mentors. Those participating in the discussion across multiple locations acquire new skills and support to treat their patients who otherwise would have to be referred to other specialists. Patients with complex chronic long term conditions, including dementia, diabetes and COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), get specialist supported care where they live, from their local GP or specialist nurse whom they know.

Project ECHO®lead, Professor Max Watson said: “GPs are specialists in their patients. Linking their specialist knowledge with that of disease specialists allows for the best treatments to be delivered close to their patient’s own home. GPs benefit from this initiative by being supported in delivering complex care. Specialists benefit by multiplying their impact and, most importantly, patients win by having fewer appointments at distant specialist centres.”

PACT has partnered with the ECHP Project to deliver a series of sessions over two years to facilitate the IMPACTAgewell© Project.

A Curriculum has been set for the next year, the topics will include 

• Social Determinants of Health

• Health Literacy

• Community Asset Mapping

• Polypharmacy

• Medicines Optimisation in Older People

• Common medicines adherence problems

• Evaluation skills

For further information or to enrol in the ECHO sessions please contact the PACT Office. tel- 02890656576

 

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