Health to Hand
A brand new service providing healthcare education resources
NAPS JOINS PILOT PROGRAMME OF 'HEALTH TO HAND' A BRAND NEW SERVICE PROVIDING HEALTHCARE EDUCATION RESOURCES TO PATIENT AND HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS
'Health to Hand' is aiming to provide a structured conduit for the supply of complimentary resources to healthcare professionals which can be utilised during consultations to help their patients' knowledge. Such resources will relate to specific and relevant health issues and the information supplied can be shared with friends and family to generate wider understanding. Vital to the success of the scheme is the supervision and involvement of the healthcare professional - a trusted source who can be available for further consultation, should the need arise.
It is envisaged that practice nurses will play a pivotal role in the implementation of this initiative. In many larger GP surgeries regular clinics for the management of health are run by practice based specialist nurses, many of whom have the power to prescribe. "Health to Hand's" service, aims to support the work of health professionals in improving the health of the nation by providing them with authoritative information, which can be shared positively and productively with those who are seeking appropriate relief for their individual medical conditions.
The pilot programme, in which NAPS is participating, involves the distribution of individually branded medi-bags to Well-Woman (16-45) clinics within primary care practices. Other clinics covered by the scheme are Well-Woman (45+), Well-Man (16-45), Well-Man (45+), Diabetes, Asthma and Allergies, Heart Health and Smoking Cessation.
Five hundred of each type of clinic bag are to be distributed across the U.K., with a uniform geographical spread, and the surgeries targeted, are larger practices which support huge numbers of patients and therefore tend to offer the complete range of clinc based services.
Since so much of our business is now conducted electronically, we had to rely on photocopying material for the NAPS pack. We included what we considered to be the most essential aids to understanding PMS and its treatment, and the ways in which NAPS is able to support sufferers in managing their PMS successfully. Many items being more than one page had to be stapled (yes, our photocopier is too old to be able to cope with automatic stapling!) and then 11 items had to be collated by hand. This was a MAMMOTH and physically challenging task, with four volunteers involved, even working on a Saturday. However, such is the potential for promoting the work of NAPS and supporting significant numbers of sufferers, that it was an opportunity which we believed we could not afford to miss. Particular thanks must go to Sam Lunam, our office stalwart/star, who masterminded the copying and packaging operation.
Also in the pipeline, is NAPS being included in the Well-Woman therapy area of the 'Health to Hand' website and anyone accessing this, can link into the NAPS site and obtain further information.
Very valuable to us will be the feedback we receive on the effectiveness of our campaign activities. 'Health to Hand' will assist us in developing and improving our interaction with patients and healthcare professionals and will help us achieve a better understanding of their requirements.
