e-ELCA

e-ELCA session updates take place regularly to ensure content of the programme remains contemporary and relevant. The following sessions have been updated in the last few months:

• 5 – Assessment of psychological well-being
• 9 – Bereavement assessment and support
• 12 – Assessing those with fluctuating mental capacity
• 16 – Identifying the patient’s goals and priorities
• 17 – Documentation, communication and coordination
• 19 – Uses and Limitations of Assessment Tools
• 34 – Dealing With Challenging Relatives
• 35 – Challenging communication with colleagues
• 13 – Drug management of breathlessness
• 20 – Management of Bleeding
• 23b – Symptom Management for the Dying Adult
• 36 – Recognising and managing fatigue
• 39 – Assessment of physical and cognitive deterioration in function T
• 40 – Management of physical deterioration
• 3 – Initiating Conversations about End of Life Care: Dementia
• 7 – Case study: COPD
• 13 – When the dying process is protracted or unexpectedly fast
• 18 – Treatment and Care Towards the End of Life Good Practice in Decision Making
• 22 – Using the NHS Continuing Healthcare Fast Track Pathway Tool

Thanks to all of those who have supported e-ELCA session updates, it is much appreciated.

You may have met the e-ELCA team at various events and conferences over the last couple of years. We attended the Hospice UK Conference in Liverpool in November 2019. We will also be attending the Palliative Care Congress in Telford in March 2020. Please come and see us! We are looking at attending further conferences to this too to raise awareness of the programme.

Significant work reviewing the whole of the e-ELCA catalogue identified a number of sessions that align with elements of the new Internal Medicine Training Curriculum. This work led to the development of the Internal Medicine Training Learning Path that is available on the e-ELCA website.

The e-ELCA tea continue to work to promote the programme and make it as widely known as possible. We recently supported a WeNurses Twitter chat on education in palliative care alongside Dr Iain Lawrie, APM president. Additionally, all programme updated are sent out through Twitter so please follow us and keep an eye out for these.

We also regularly include an article in the APM bulletin, and also send this copy for dissemination through other sources such as HospiceUK and HEE.

This new session (10_06) was designed for specialists in palliative care. The session outlines the evidence base and practicalities of Non-invasive ventilation (NIV) for patients. This includes considerations in the withdrawal of NIV. Thanks to Dr David Oliver, Jonathan Palmer, Juliet Colt and Professor Christina Faull for developing this.

It has been written by a multidisciplinary group of cardiology and palliative care specialists to help palliative care clinicians become more confident with managing patients with heart failure and knowing when to liaise with heart failure services. Thanks to Yvonne Millerick, Shona Jenkins, Dr Karen Hogg and Dr Amy Gadoud for developing this.

This new session (10_02) was designed for specialists in palliative care. It has been written by a multidisciplinary group of cardiology and palliative care specialists to help palliative care clinicians become more confident with managing patients with heart failure and knowing when to liaise with heart failure services. Thanks to Yvonne Millerick, Shona Jenkins, Dr Karen Hogg and Dr Amy Gadoud for developing this.

Module 6 comprises six sessions on Social Care. These have all been updated to ensure their content is relevant and contemporary. The module covers social care issues in both hospital and community settings, as well as how links are made between health and social care. Many thanks to Tes Smith, Director of Quality and Care at Saint Francis Hospice and a real expert in this field, for her work on this.

Session 03_31 Discussing Hydration has been significantly updated. This session was reviewed to align with NICE guideline [NG 31] – Care of dying adults in the last days of life. It is contemporary in content and a useful learning tool for all clinicians looking after patients in the last days of life.

Significant work reviewing the whole of the e-ELCA catalogue has identified a number of sessions that align with elements of the Palliative Medicine Specialty Training Curriculum. This work will soon appear on both the e-ELCA and the APM website, standby for more updates.

e-ELCA and NICE NG31 guidelines

e-ELCA sessions have been highlighted as a resource to help with implementation of the NICE NG31 guidelines. The key sessions signposted are:

• Assessment of dying phase and after death care (02_14)
• “What will it be like?” – talking about the dying process (03_26)
• Discussing ‘do not attempt CPR’ decisions (03_30)
• Symptom management: last days of life (04_23–04_26)
• Discussing food and fluids (03_31)

More information on this can be found here: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng31/chapter/Implementation-getting-started

Professor Christina Faull 
Former APM  lead for e-ELCA
February 2016

This leaflet is available on the e-ELCA website (http://www.e-lfh.org.uk/programmes/end-of-life-care/). It is intended as a practical guide for managers, as well as trainers, wanting to improve end of life care as it will help motivate and engage learners by highlighting best practice when using e-learning.

All 156 sessions will have been updated by the end of March. Enormous thanks to those of you who have helped me with this. It’s a ‘Forth Road Bridge’ of a task though!

Professor Christina Faull 
Former APM lead for e-ELCA
February 2016

Making the most of e-ELCA

e-ELCA has been recommended as part of a blended learning approach by the ‘Training and Education in End of Life Care’ report, commissioned by HEE to review the efficacy of existing education and training resources on end of life care. Take a look at the new Making the most of e-ELCA guide. It is a simple and concise guide, designed to provide a brief overview of factors that can help organisations maximise the effectiveness and value of using e-ELCA.

Professor Christina Faull
Former APM e-ELCA Lead
November 2015

Are you tired of delivering the same old session on symptom management? Why not try using an e-ELCA session with the group instead? I frequently use session 3.30 Discussing ‘Do Not Attempt CPR’ Decisions for teaching about resuscitation decision making. This brings out great discussions in the group and I don’t have to prepare anything!

The newly updated sessions on assessment and management of constipation may bring a new flow to a dry subject! (metaphors all intended!).

Have you considered how you might use e-ELCA sessions in your teaching? Why not use the recently updated session as a way of getting a group to discuss really important concepts at the heart of advance care planning.

Communicating with Empathy is a six session course that has been developed by PallE8 to promote sensitive and effective communication in end of life care. It is available within the e-ELCA programme and is primarily aimed at non-registered care staff but is potentially suitable for newly qualified professionals and non-clinical staff who interact with patients and families at the end of life e.g. receptionists, ward clerks and volunteers. Multimedia content is integral to the e-learning with extensive video clips drawing on patient, carer and professional expertise as well as simulated scenarios with professional actors.

Suzie Gillon and I recently updated the session Request for Euthanasia (3.20) may be useful to you in your discussions arising in relation to the Assisted Dying Bill.

Please do let me know examples of how you use e-ELCA so I can share with others and also any suggestions for further improvements of these or any sessions.

Professor Dr Christina Faull
Former APM e-ELCA Lead
October 2015

All staff who work in hospices are entitled to access e-elca. When registering they need to use a specific code for their hospice. They can get this from the e-ELCA support team. Alternatively, I’m happy to supply the code to a hospice education lead.

Professor Christina Faull
Former APM e-ELCA Lead
September 2015

The e-learning resources of e-ELCA are universally praised but the biggest criticism is that people don’t know about them. APM members, who have contributed hugely to the development of the 150 sessions, are also key to making e-ELCA used to it’s full potential.

We’re all supporting local initiatives to improve the competence of the health and social care workforce to deliver good end of life care and e-ELCA provides a great resource as part of a blended learning approach. Many of you have said your NHS organisations are looking for this type of information to direct their staff training.

The sessions in e-ELCA have been mapped to the learning objectives of the ‘One Chance to Get it Right’ report and core and additional e-ELCA sessions have been defined for doctors, nurses, AHPs, social care workers, and managers

A newly developed training needs analysis session will help people identify their strengths and weaknesses in end of life care and direct them to pertinent sessions.

Quite a lot of this can be accessed via the website (without the need to register) including a key session (in ’sample sessions’) Recognising the Last Months and Days of Life and Veryfiying Death  Please do share this information with your colleagues and consider using e-ELCA in your teaching.

We want to develop resources to support trainers integrate e-ELCA into their teaching. If you have made use of sessions in courses or within face to face teaching I’d be delighted to hear more.

Professor Christina Faull
Former APM e-ELCA Lead
August 2015

Last autumn I surveyed the SpRs and other members to get to know your thoughts on what sessions for specialists should be prioritised for development in e-ELCA.  A good number of people wanted a session on tracheostomy care.  The good news is we don’t need to develop this as it’s already there!.

If you think we should  do something additional  in this area of care in an e-learning format to support training and CPD then do let me know.

Professor Christina Faull
Former APM e-ELCA Lead
July 2015