ECHO Project volunteer involvement
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ince 2018, we’ve been offering education and support to teams and individuals delivering palliative and end-of-life care, outwith a hospice setting. Using a model called Project ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes), we use teleconferencing technology to bring networks of people together and engage with more communities who often miss out on accessing palliative care when they need it most. Sessions offer a variety of health care providers the opportunity to come together
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www.stcolumbashospice.org.uk
remotely, share knowledge and expertise and learn from hospice staff and each other. Participants can discuss their experiences and reflect on the challenging but rewarding job they do looking after the people in their care. At the moment, we’re working predominately with care homes and homeless services but we’re planning to extend this support to other settings very soon. Our ECHO hub is run by our Community Nurse Specialist, Hilary Gardner, and supported by three volunteers who make the project possible and ensure that each session runs smoothly. Hilary facilitates each session and guides the virtual meeting while a skilled volunteer operates the
teleconferencing technology. Each session is recorded and a volunteer ensures it is uploaded onto a learning platform for participants to access and reference, straight after the meeting. A huge benefit of teleconferencing is that it removes the need for staff to travel, meaning they can dedicate more time to supporting those who need them. The feedback on the sessions has been incredible and the support we provide has been very well received and appreciated. We’d like to say a special thank you to our ECHO volunteers, Paul, Frank and Mike for enabling us to connect with other services across Edinburgh, and enhance the care they can offer.
