The Mid Trent Cancer Network Information Prescriptions Pilot Project
This page describes the pilot project on Information Prescriptions (IPs) currently being undertaken by the Mid Trent Cancer Network(MTCN):
‘Our health, Our care, Our say’ (Department of Health, 2006) states ‘that everyone with a long-term health and social care need and their carers should have an ‘Information Prescription’ (IP) by 2008’.
In order to develop, test and evaluate the concept of IPs the Department of Health launched 20 Information Prescriptions Pilot Sites in early 2007. The Mid Trent Cancer Network (MTCN) is one of the pilot sites. There are four sites looking at Cancer, and the other sites encompass a range of conditions such as Diabetes, Asthma, Mental Health, Sight and Hearing difficulties.
Progress to date
In their original bid the MTCN identified three clinical pathways to develop and test IPs within, these are the head and neck, lung and gynaecological cancer pathways. These clinical pathways were chosen as significant work had already been undertaken in establishing network wide information pathways supporting the clinical pathways.
A stakeholder workshop was held in March 2007 to launch the IP development process. Extensive work has been undertaken in engaging with, and supporting, the Clinical Nurse Specialists, the main professional group currently issuing IPs on these pathways. To date 290 IPs have been issued across these three areas since July 2007 and continue to be issued on a daily basis.
Both local and national evaluation has been undertaken. Locally, focus groups have been held with the Clinical Nurse Specialists issuing the IPs to gather their views and feedback both on the templates and the process of issuing. In addition 10 discovery interviews were undertaken with patients and carers to gain their views on the experience of having an IP issued. Feedback from both these processes has been used to inform both the development of the template and the IP issuing process. Click here for a copy of the Discovery Interview Report.
Nationally, patients who had received an IP (and consented to participate in the evaluation) and CNSs who had issued an IP, received questionnaires that have informed the national evaluation process.
The final report from the national evaluation team is available at http://www.informationprescription.info/.
Project end and the Future
As the project draws to a close at the end of March 2008 the MTCN IP Project Team have been busy working with key stakeholders to develop Information Prescriptions for Colorectal Cancer Patients, Carers and for patients at the end of life with a focus on issuing these IPs in primary care. Furhter information will be available on this website in the next few weeks as we report from the stakeholder events and workshops held to take the work in these areas forward.
The Project Leads are developing a roll-out plan and sustainability strategy to ensure the future of this work and that is is embedded in day to day practice across Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire.