WSDAN Progress: Review of members' meeting, and WSDAN news items

Susan Royer

This month in WSDAN Progress, we reflect on a recent members’ meeting, and remind users about the WSDAN website’s ‘news items’ facility.

WSDAN members’ meeting

On 15 October 2009, WSDAN members met in Newham, east London.

Martin Scarfe, Newham WSD Project Director, updated members on the trial and provided an overview of the area and the recruitment process. Members learned how the organisation of patient data had been crucial to the success of the recruitment process, as had good relationships between the WSD project team and local health care professionals. Newham’s trial focuses on four long-term conditions: diabetes, heart failure, COPD, and the frail and elderly.

Newham WSD’s Communications Manager, Sheena Hobbs, gave a presentation on the importance of communications in a trial of this type. This highlighted the fact that all staff have a contribution to make in transmitting a unified message, and the need to tailor content to the audience. Newham's WSDAN update newsletter (770 kb) keeps local health care professionals informed about developments, while user involvement groups enable users to share their experiences.

Two of Newham’s Community Matrons also addressed WSDAN members, with a most informative update on their role in the WSD trial.

WSDAN website news

Since its launch last year, more than 200 news items have been posted on the WSDAN website, providing an excellent resource for telehealth and telecare information. Items are added regularly, providing an easily accessible, up-to-date source of relevant news. This is in addition to the WSDAN evidence database, our searchable online directory that brings together published and unpublished evidence on the impact of telehealth and telecare on the management of people with long-term conditions.