The development of an online resource for OPAT patient education to enhance OPAT patient experience: a collaborative project with a local third level education institution

Abstract

Background: To start on the OPAT service, a shared decision-making process between provider and patient involves providing an overview of the OPAT service including the options available. With the advent of COVID, wearing facemasks interrupted effective communication making assessments and shared decision making more difficult for patients. As there were no visitors, additional phone calls to carers were needed to complete a holistic assessment. This has resulted in more time consuming assessments. In addition, there was no relevant OPAT online resource available to which we could refer patients and their relatives. Objective: To develop an on-line resource to provide both patients and carers with an overview of the service, an introduction to team members, the OPAT options available and the OPAT process. This resource would prepare patients and carers for their OPAT discharge, manage their expectations and enhance their experience. Methods: A survey of patients and community intervention team nurses assessing patient information needs was completed. Under the SPARK Covid Call, OPAT Clinical Nurse Specialists supported by the Infectious Disease Consultant OPAT Clinical Lead were successful in their application for funding of development of an online resource for patients and received funding in April 2021. The agreed purpose would be to provide patients and carers with an overview of the service, an introduction to team members, the OPAT options available, the OPAT process. resource would reflect the national programme and not be site specific so that there was potential for it to be adopted nationally. An additional suggestion was to approach third level institutions locally to collaborate with to develop the resource. Supported by MUH Nursing Management, in June 2021 we approached Cork College of Further Education, Douglas Street Campus who embraced the project as an innovative learning experience for their second year Creative Digital Media Course students. From September 2021 to May 2022, there was engagement between students, OPAT CNSs and college teams. The project included script writing, storyboarding, dry run interviews on-site, three final video recordings, a voice-over recording with animation, creation of graphics followed by animation and editing. Students worked on this project to include in their portfolio, using their current level of knowledge and skills. Resources available to the college students where limited for example, no script prompting equipment were used, which made this part of the project challenging for all involved. The students and college teachers found the involvement in the project a very beneficial learning experience to see what it would be like working with real clients and the college would like to work on projects like this again in the future. The completed online resource includes an animated information video with voice over and three separate videos with an ID consultant and OPAT nurses explaining the OPAT service: "OPAT-Your Path Home"– A short animation; OPAT - Before You Go Home – Video; OPAT -When You Go Home - Video; OPAT – Role of Infectious Disease Consultant – Video. This inter-professional project developed in collaboration with College of Further Education has produced high quality, but simple videos explaining the OPAT service to enhance the patient experience. Available to service users via the hospital websites. In addition, this collaborative initiative between HSE and Cork College of Further Education won the Further Education category of the Cork Lifelong Learning Awards for "Innovative Inter-agency Lifelong Learning Endeavours" that contribute to community and society.