Intra-trust lymphoedema awareness training

programme

Gillian McCollum Lymphoedema Clinical Lead

Background

A structured intra-trust awareness training programme was agreed to be a key element of the LNNI Education Strategy (2009)

Aims

Promote the role of preventative care (including use of LNNI awareness leaflets)

Improve the ability of healthcare professionalsto make a lymphoedema diagnosis

Reduce the time from diagnosis to referral to a lymphoedema service encouraging the referral of the more acute condition

Developing the Programme

Each trust developed an independent programme of education dates to suit its specialities and regional variations, including acute and community settings

Partnership arrangements were made with those professions and specialities considered to be responsible for “at risk” patients to encourage attendance and participation

Measuring Effectiveness

An audit assessment tool was designed to

assess the effectiveness of the intra-trust awareness sessions

This used an identical pre and post education

session questionnaire which was scored to

provide an objective measure of lymphoedema

awareness/knowledge pre and post teaching The results for the first 6 months demonstrate

a significant improvement in knowledge of the healthcare professionals who attended

Professions & Services Covered

Cancer Centre Palliative Care Breast Surgery Gynaecology Surgery Urology Surgery Plastic Surgery General Surgery General Medicine Haematology Vascular Dermatology Tissue Viability DVT Orthopaedics Podiatry Dietetics District Nursing General Practitioners Practice Nurses Service Users Physiotherapy Occupational

Therapy

Summary

This structured education programme is available to all health care professionals working in all settings across the individual Trusts

The programme will continue on a rolling basis

Ultimate aim is to reduce the impact of the condition on the patient and the lymphoedema service