The following events were organised by the Practice Development Unit.
Practice Development Unit Network Meeting 9.11.06
"Tools for making CQI 'Real' at the Point of Care" (PDF, 1.65MB, 8minutes)
NICEBIRG Seminar 16 May 2006
The 2006 meeting of NICEBIRG was held in Edinburgh and colleagues from across Scotland were invited to participate in a seminar to discuss the implementation of evidence into practice. This was held at The Caledonian Hotel, Edinburgh, on Tuesday, May 16, 2006. Participation was by invitation only with delegates drawn from key posts in practice development, higher education and research, ensuring representation from each NHS Board area.
NICEBIRG Seminar Report May 2006
Improving Asthma Care 1 March 2007
The UK, and Scotland in particular, have one of the highest prevalence rates of asthma worldwide with an estimated 1 in 13 adults and 1 in 8 children currently receiving treatment for asthma. Every year in the UK there are approximately 1,400 deaths from asthma and 69,000 hospital admissions. Healthcare and voluntary organisations are trying to reduce these figures by helping people control their asthma more effectively.
NHS Quality Improvement Scotland (NHS QIS), in partnership with the Scottish Executive Health Department and Asthma UK (Scotland), have worked together to improve the health and well-being of people with asthma in Scotland.
Aims of Project
• To improve the health and well-being of people with asthma
• To distribute Asthma UK s Be in Control materials throughout Scotland
• To promote the use of Personal Asthma Action Plans
• To provide education for healthcare professionals
• To create a learning resource aimed at people with asthma
One phase of the project was the promotion of the use of personal asthma action plans amongst people with asthma.
A personal asthma action plan can be defined as a written record agreed by a person with asthma and their health professionals. It is a tool, which can be initiated on diagnosis or at any point in on-going care, and which should periodically be reviewed and refined to help people manage their asthma. It also provides personalised guidance on what action to take when asthma symptoms or peak flow deteriorate.
The main outcomes of the project were
• The production of a Children’s Asthma Action Plan
• The production of a CD ROM learning resource for practitioners and people with asthma
• The distribution of Asthma UK s Be in Control materials throughout Scotland
• The provision 160 asthma diploma courses, 200 asthma update courses and 100 asthma short courses free of charge for practitioners throughout Scotland
• The publication of a report of the project
The report of the project can be found at Improving Asthma Care (PDF, 912K, 2min 13secs)
An Improving Asthma Care event was held in the Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh on March 1st 2007, which launched the report, the Children’s Asthma Action Plan and the CD ROM. At the event fifteen nurses who had attended the Diploma Course were presented with commemorative badges and certificates by the then Health Minister Andy Kerr MSP. Subsequently badges were sent to all students who completed the diploma.