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 selfmanagement 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
12:45 – 1:45 pm in Room 250
Mon
3
Tuesday
4
Wed
5
Thursday
6
Pain Management
10
13
18
19
Understanding SCI
24
25
20
21
Bowel Management
26
Bladder Management
14
Ask a Peer
Healthy Eating
17
7
Housing 101
12
11
Fri
27
Preventing Shoulder
Pain
Clients and family members welcome!
Any questions? Please ask Karen A. in room 239
28
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:
Peers
Peers
and more
Peers!!!
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??