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 professionals to 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 CentrePalliative Care  Breast SurgeryGynaecology Surgery  Urology SurgeryPlastic Surgery  General SurgeryGeneral Medicine  HaematologyVascular  DermatologyTissue Viability  DVTOrthopaedics  PodiatryDietetics  District NursingGeneral Practitioners  Practice NursesService Users  PhysiotherapyOccupational 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