Enhancing Education Delivery

An Evaluation of the Client Education Sessions and Print

Materials at GF Strong

Disclosure

• No involvement with any commercial interests and unable to identify any potential conflict of interest

What is the efficacy of in-patient education at GF Strong Rehab

Centre in supporting self-management skills for clients

with Spinal Cord Injury?

How do clients say they learn??

AIM

• To evaluate the twice weekly client education sessions and supporting print materials that are provided to clients with Spinal Cord Injury at GF Strong Rehab Centre to determine effectiveness and identify area’s for improvement

SESSION TITLE PRESENTER

Understanding Spinal Cord Injury Physiatrist

Understanding SCI complications Physiatrist

Skin Care Occupational Therapist

Bladder Management Nurse

Bowel Management Nurse

Pain Management Physiotherapist

Driver’s Rehabilitation Driver Rehab Specialist

Recreation Therapy/Peer experiences Recreation therapist/Peers

Care options post discharge Social Worker

Preparing for discharge Social Worker

Complications of alcohol & drugs Drug and Alcohol counsellor

Nutrition & Healthy Eating Dietician

Posture & Positioning Occupational Therapist

Shoulder Management Physiotherapist

Stress Management Social Worker

Maintaining Healthy Relationships Social Worker

SCI-BC peer program SCI-BC peer

Housing Social work assistant

GFS Spinal Cord Program Client Education October Education Education

Mon Tuesday Wed Thursday Fri

3 4

Pain Management

5 6

Housing 101

7

10 11

Healthy Eating

12 13

Ask a Peer

14

17 18

Understanding SCI

19 20

Bowel Management

21

24 25

Bladder Management

26 27

Preventing Shoulder Pain

28

Clients and family members welcome!

Any questions? Please ask Karen A. in room 239

12:45 – 1:45 pm in Room 250

What we did

• Methodology involved a focus group with inpatients, a focus group with outpatients and telephone interviews with clients living outside the Lower Mainland

What we found out

• Eight themes emerged from our results:

PeersPeers

and morePeers!!!

Pic of Walt & Brad

2. Group discussion is KEY

• Learning occurs best when educational material is discussed in a group format

• “Sessions are like group therapy”

3. Variety of Teaching Techniques

• Sessions are more powerful when demonstrations, visual aids, problem solving and case examples are used

• “The presenter shouldn’t just sit there and read the slides”

4. Optional attendance but Mandatory learning

• The material that is presented in the education sessions is vital for learning how to manage living with a SCI

• “I wish I had attended more sessions while I was at GF Strong”

5. Take Control

• Participants reported that the sessions consistently gave the message that clients must take control of their own care

• “You’re your own best advocate”

6. Laying the foundation for Self-management

• Attending education sessions helps provide the knowledge, skills & confidence to begin to self-manage

• “The sessions open your eyes, helps you get through, makes you aware of your new body and its demands”

7. Need for session summaries

• Summary of key points discussed during each presentation should be given at the end of each session

8. Print vs. online information

• The SCI manual that is given to each inpatient is a useful resource for clients, families, friends & future care providers. It is a reliable, easily accessed resource.

Enhancing Education Lessons Learned

• Less dependence on PowerPoint

• Implement more problem-solving & group discussion

• Expand peer support, including “virtual” peers e.g. SCI-U & facingdisability.com

Enhancing Education Lessons Learned

• Refine written information & provide guidance for accessing reliable on-line resources

• Support clinicians to develop a deeper understanding of the self-management paradigm

Overall impact

• Importance of obtaining the patients’ voice

• Quality Improvement versus Research – publication challenges

• Future Plans: Knowledge Translation project on Self-management support

Questions??