Print PageAnother Accolade for the COPD Outreach Team
Thursday November 25, 2010
The Respiratory Passport for patients with COPD, developed by the COPD Outreach team at Beaumont, was runner up in the HSE Dublin North East Regional Category of the HSE Achievement Awards announced on 24th November. Last October, clinical nurse specialist Nimh McCormack was presented with the Irish Medical Times Healthcare Award for the Nursing Project of the Year for her assessment of the impact of a respiratory passport for patients with COPD.
The "Respiratory Passport" teaches a patient how to better manage their COPD and provides a personal "Action Plan" for use at times of particular difficulty. The aim is to reduce detrimental exacerbations of COPD and thus reduce the number of hospital admissions. Niamh's recent study demonstrated that the "passport" is also a strong empowerment tool that helps patients control their illness and feel more independent, improving their sense of well-being and increasing their confidence.
Each "passport" action plan is customised for the patient and includes information about exacerbation symptom recognition, pharmacological management, chest clearance, smoking cessation, diet, vaccination, and exercise. If the patient does present to an Emergency Department, the "passport" gives hospital staff a record of the patient's current treatment and therapy information.
The "passport" is used in tandem with the COPD Outreach Programme's services and is provided to all assisted discharge and pulmonary rehabilitation patient.
Pictured at the HSE Achievement Awards is Cathal Magee, CEO of the HSE, with Niamh McCormack, COPD Outreach, Beaumont Hospital, and HSE Dublin North East Runner Up for 'Respiratory Passport for patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), and Melanie Mahon, SISK.