NDTP Excellence Awards 2018 Winners

Congratulations to the Winners!

High quality initiatives designed to bring about lasting improvements for patients and their doctors were highlighted at the inaugural HSE National Doctors Training and Planning (NDTP) Excellence Awards held in Dublin on Thursday, June 29, 2018.

 Professor Frank Murray, Director of NDTP, said the awards recognise and celebrate excellence in medical education and training happening right across the country.

 “This event is a showcase for the breadth and depth of initiatives carried out by the Post-Graduate Medical Training Bodies, Intern Training Networks, and individual doctors,” he said.

 A total of nine Awards were presented in the Brightspark, Lead NCHD and Training Body and Intern Network Executive categories.

Award winning projects in the Brightspark category were developed to bring about benefits for patients. This initiative, funded by NDTP, aims to support and promote innovation among Non-Consultant Hospital Doctors (NCHDs).

Brightspark Award Winning Projects

Personalised Medication Passport for children with chronic illness

This project involved the development of a passport-style document, completed by the medical team and updated by the patient/parent, to reduce confusion arising amongst healthcare practitioners and service users regarding current medications, thus reducing the potential for medication error.

 Dr Siobhán Neville, Pediatrics SpR

Online interactive map for mental health catchment areas

This project aims to improve efficiency and ease of referral for onward care by developing a centralised online map to identify which catchment area a patient should be referred to for onward mental health care in the community. This online map would account for all areas nationally, and allow the user to easily identify which catchment area the patient is from.

Dr. Margaret Gallagher, Psychiatry Registrar

Improving Chest Drain Insertion Confidence among NCHDs

This project aimed to improve NCHD confidence in performing chest drain insertion through a brief intervention training session. Training sessions involved short demonstration tutorials followed by practical exposure and supported training. 

Dr Ronan Kelly Surgical SpR

Lead NCHD Award Winning Projects

NCHD Staff Engagement and Career Development

An interview skills course was provided for NCHDs at Dublin’s St James’s Hospital and feedback sought on its content and impact. The course aimed to fill a gap identified in NCHD career development.

L. Aljohmani, Lead NCHD St. James’s Hospital

Intern Handover App – Captive Health

 A user-friendly application was developed for interns to serve as their online handbook for clinical information, IT software knowledge and hospital related guidance. The resource was added to the staff connect portal of the Captive Health App for Tallaght Hospital in Dublin. This simple, easy to use application supports NCHDs and aids quality improvement initiatives.

Improving wellbeing among anaesthetists in University Hospital, Galway

Burnout, fatigue and poor morale are problems among non-consultant hospital doctors (NCHDs) and consultants working in Irish hospitals.

The HSE’s National Doctors Training and Planning (NDTP) recommends that all NCHDs receive education on how to look after their wellbeing and have someone responsible for their wellbeing at the workplace. However, doctors receive very little formal education on how to look after their own wellbeing.

A wellbeing education programme was integrated into the morning teaching schedule for the Department of Anaesthesia at University Hospital, Galway. A series of six morning sessions on topics related to NCHD wellbeing within the Department was held. The topics were fatigue, mindfulness, financial planning, peer support, and a talk from the Samaritans.

The sessions were delivered by a mix of speakers from within the department, and external guest speakers. The department of anaesthesia was pleased with the results of the programme and will continue to run it in the future.

Eoin Kelleher, NCHD, Department of Anaesthesia, University Hospital Galway

Training Body and Intern Network Executive Award Winning Projects

Development and implementation of Competency Based Assessments within the National Radiology Training Scheme

The aim of the project was to enable trainers to perform real-world assessment of trainees in the work-place, outside of standard formal examinations, objective structured clinical examination’s (OSCE) or simulations. A web-based application was designed for trainers to use on their mobile devices, allowing real time completions of the assessments. Instructional videos were developed in conjunction with the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland, these videos demonstrated various feedback scenarios and techniques and were designed to aid trainers during the feedback component of the assessments. Competency based assessments are currently targeted at second and fourth trainees, and will be expanded to include all radiology trainees within a structured training pathway for the next training year.

(Faculty of Radiologists, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland)

Development and introduction of a high fidelity simulation education programme for higher specialist trainees in Obstetrics and Gynaecology

The project aimed to design, produce and introduce a high fidelity simulation education programme for higher specialist trainees in Obstetrics and Gynaecology. Surgical simulation offers the opportunity for trainees to practise their surgical skills prior to entering the operating theatre, allowing detailed feedback and objective assessment of their performance. Courses were introduced across 3 key clinical areas of both obstetrics and gynaecology; advanced laparoscopic surgical skills, advanced labour ward emergency skills, and management of Obstetric Anal Sphincter Injuries (OASIS). A combination of lectures/interactive discussions/videos/simulation training/cadaveric models and animal models were used to deliver training. The programme is now a mandatory part of the curriculum in obstetrics and gynaecology.

 (Institute of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Royal College of Physicians of Ireland)

Development and implementation of an online tool to facilitate work place based assessment (WPBA) for core specialist training in Emergency Medicine

The aim of the project was to support the introduction of WPBA’s for core emergency medicine trainees through the development of an on-line tool, EM STAT, which allows for the electronic recording, submission and tracking of practical procedures in which trainees should become competent during their training. EM STAT was developed and tested by an RCSI IT project team, which included EM training personnel, during 2016 and early 2017 The EM STAT tool records the exact time and date of each completed procedure and displays trainees procedures to date, either pending, submitted or awaiting validation allowing trainees to keep within their schedule or follow up with assessors for validation. The EM STAT platform will be built on to support further developments in WPBA’s in the future.

 (Emergency Medicine, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland)

For further information on any of the above projects, please contact Yvonne McGowan, at yvonne.mcgowan@hse.ie.