eHospital

1. eHospital e-learning opportunities for adult patients during hospitalisation in health-care institutions Leonardo / Grundtvig Contact Seminar Aarhus, 15-17 May 2008

2. A project funded by the European Commission‘s Socrates / Grundtvig programme Duration: 1.10 2005-30.9.2008 eHospital e-learning opportunities for adult patientsduring hospitalisation in health-care institutions

3. die Berater, Austria (Coordinator) Donau-Universität Krems, Austria Bildungswerk der Sächsischen Wirt- schaft, Germany Academy of Management Łodzi, Poland CESGA, Spain Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Spain ORT France Ynternet.org, Switzerland (Associated partner) eHospital partners

4. die Berater Our competences • Soft skills trainings • IT trainings • Language courses • Coaching • Outplacement • Consulting • Job seeker seminars • EU projects Some facts • Training and consulting company • 400 members of staff • around 50 branches in Austria • ca. 16.000 participants per year • 15.500 m² training facilities • tailor-made seminars Our approach • The person is most important • Fair Play • Social responsibility

5. ?Informal learning? Learning while at hospital? ? For hospital patients? ? E-Learning?

6. Life-long learning eHospital - the LLL context Informal learning Life-wide learning Widening access to LLL Increasing participation in LLL Involvement of disadvantaged and vulnerable groups Learner-centred approaches Open and flexible forms of learning Exploring new places of learning

7. „Putting the patient first“ eHospital - the hospital context Holistic healthcare approaches Patient empowerment Improvement of „touch factor“ Competition for patients Patients as customers Additional services

8. Computer-assisted learning has a great potential for patient education. Hospital patients are restricted in their mobility and can therefore profit from flexibility of time and space that e-learning offers. Social interaction and joint learning activities with peers become possible with the help of virtual tools. eHospital - the e-learning context E-learning = a wide set of applications and processes, such as Web-based learning, computer-based learning, virtual classrooms, and digital collaboration. It includes the delivery of content via Internet, intranet/extranet (LAN/WAN), audio- and videotape, satellite broadcast, interactive TV, CD-ROM, and more. www.learningcircuits.org/glossary

9. The starting point of eHospital A successful national project which started at a children‘s hospital in Vienna and is now implemented in several hospitals all over Austria ECDL for children suffering from cancer

10. eHospital: Corner stones • Experience from the ECDL projects with young cancer patients:Learning can produce an enormous emotional boost for long-term patients. • In many European countries there are hospital schools for school-age children, butthere are no learning provisions for adult patients. • Transfer of the experience from the ECDL projects to • other age groups (adults) • other patients groups • other learning topics • other countries • Investigation of the potential of e-learning for patient education • Academic evaluation of the learning activities by two universities

11. Analysis: State of the Art of patient education in Europe Planning and implementation of 7 local e-learning projects in 6 countries Best Practice Evaluation Tools for e-learning in hospitals e-learning platform e-learning content Publication for educators Recommendations, Methodologies and examples of e-learning activities in hospitals Project activities

12. eHospital: The Austrian course • In cooperation with AKH Vienna • 15-25 year-old patients of neuro-oncology, neuro-paediatrics, epilepsy, cardiology, dialysis • Patients after brain surgery with severe cognitive impairments (reduced memory, short attention span) • Long periods of hospitalisation or day patients • Disrupted school education and / or vocational training • No educational offers in hospital after end of compulsory school • Challenge: Entry into labour market Topic: Job Perspectives • What is e-learning? • Career decisions • Work: labour market, unemployment, job-hunting… • Job application training • Soft Skills: Personal strengths and weaknesses, defining aims, communication…

13. eHospital: The other courses Alzheimer patients Basic ICT and internet skills Patients with lung diseases Information management Patient groups & topics Patients with spinal cord injuries Digital literacy for re-entry in the labour market Elderly patients Maintaining physical and mental mobility Patients with temporary mental health problems History of art &creativity Patients in soft psychiatric treatment The art of profiling on the web

14. Some evaluation results • The diverse learning offers were very much appreciated by all patient groups and hospital staff involved:E-learning for hospital patients is wanted and accepted! • The personal relationship between patient learner and tutor is crucial.E-learning in hospitals needs frequent and intensive face-to face contacts:Only blended learning can be a successful e-learning strategy. • “Learning achievements“ can occur at different levels:acquisition of new skills improving employability – learning for personal fulfilment – increase of motivation and mental strength – activity diverting attention from illness.Each type of learning achievement is equally valuable!

15. Some evaluation results • Learning provisions must be extremely flexible and individualised with regard to • content • duration • intensity of the course offered. Keys to flexibility are ICT-supported learning and modularisation. • Close cooperation between e-learning providers / tutors and hospital staff is necessary.Various groups of staff are concerned: medical – nursing- psychological – educational – administrative - technical.Hospital staff has an important role in selecting and motivating patients, organising learning times, supporting learners, giving information and feedback to tutors.

16. E-learning in hospitals: critical points • It is crucial that the top management of the hospital fully sup-ports the learning project: A formalised cooperation contract and the appointment of contact persons within the hospital are useful. • Staff in hospitals often work under extreme pressure of time and emotional strain. This needs to be taken into account when planning the cooperation. Necessary meetings ought to be integrated in the existing hospital routine and should not produce additional strains. Feasible communication channels should be defined early. • The average duration of hospitalisation is decreasing due to financial restraints of the health system. To engage in e-learning makes only sense if patients • are hospitalised for at least two weeks or • return for short spells or as day patients within a longer period of time

17. E-learning in hospitals: critical points • Providing tailor-made blended learning to hospital patients is rather expensive because of • High fluctuation of patients and • Therefore usually small numbers of participants at a given point of time • the need for individualisation and • Intensive face-to-face contacts • Different financing models appear possible in different contexts • Sponsoring through patients’ associations or companies • Public funding • Funding by hospital in order to increase its attractiveness • Fees paid by patients

18. E-learning in hospitals: critical points • The technology used must be simple, usable and accessible, for • Technical infrastructure available varies • Many patients will not be used to advanced technology and/or face accessibility barriers • Frustration with technology must be avoided at any rate • Patients’ basic ICT skills need to be assessed before starting the e-learning course, and, if needed be trained. The digital gap is present in hospitals as well as in other parts of society!

19. Support of convalescence Best use of time Entertainment & fun Emotional wellbeing New competences Enhancement of employability Distinction from competitors Image and reputation of hospital High patient satisfaction Arguments for e-learning in hospitals The idea of e-learning in hospitals is still new and needs active promotion among stakeholders of the health system! Arguments

20. Publication E-Learning for Adult Patients in Hospitals Experiences-Challenges-Recommendations Available as PDF download (May 2008) and hardcopy (August 2008) in EN, DE, FR, ES, PL European conference What eHospital offers to you Krems, Austria 19 September 2008 Please visit our website: www.ehospital-project.net

21. Grundtvig training course eHospital Facilitator (project submitted) eHospital – What could be next? Training for hospital staff on e-learning facilitation Development of e-content for patients Transforming health information into health education: specific illnesses Module: Personal competences for coping with illness The potential of Web 2.0 for patients Evaluation design: impact of learning on convalescence

22. I am looking forward to discussing these and other project ideas on patient (e-) learning with you! Thank you very much for your attention!

23. Holger BIENZLE Head EU Departement die Berater Wipplingerstrasse 32 A-1010 Vienna Tel.: +43/1/7324545-1162 Fax: +43/1/7324545-1145 e-mail: h.bienzle@dieberater.com www.dieberater.com www.ehospital-project.net Contact