An account of a very successful day
Medical Conference is a huge success
To further the Trust’s core aims of providing information, education and support, we held a conference on 24 April at the Royal Society in London targeted at junior doctors, nurses and sonographers – those people who work in early pregnancy units. The conference was made possible by a grant from KPMG following activity by one of our fundraisers and her husband. It was quickly over-subscribed and so popular that we already have enough people to run another course!
Although we have run education days periodically in the past, this conference has proved of immense value in starting to fill the current gaps in knowledge sharing and data collection. With many of the symptoms of ectopic pregnancy mimicking other illnesses, it is sadly still often undiagnosed with a devastating effect not only on the women themselves but also on their families. A long-term effective programme offering on-going learning opportunities is vital to ensure that early diagnosis and appropriate treatment is available to all to reduce the trauma of ectopic pregnancy.
The Trust promotes increased knowledge sharing and data collection
Our primary aim was to create a forum where people could come together to share in-depth knowledge and experience in a way that has not happened before. In organising the conference, we worked closely with Professor Tom Bourne, one of our medical advisers and one of the country’s leading experts in this field. He is passionate about education and provides inspiring formats to ensure that delegates take away important findings to incorporate into their own work environment.
The format of the day included six workshops, with the delegates split into small groups of ten, which enabled them to visit each workshop in turn. The speakers, including one from Belgium, were all leading professionals in their field. They provided information for group discussion, including individual case studies and video clips from ultrasound images. Delegates also brought along their own case studies for discussion.
The topics covered were:
• Managing pregnancies of unknown location
• Ultrasound and the diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy
• Treating ectopic pregnancy
• Embryonic growth and the diagnosis of miscarriage and its management
• Other pelvic findings during scanning
• When and how to investigate and treat recurrent miscarriage
The groups and speakers came together at the end of the day for a debate and Q&A session led by Professor Bourne, who particularly stressed the importance of collecting data and statistics within hospitals. A few of the larger hospitals do collect data and some collect it in paper format which is unfortunately often lost. However, the vast majority of units collect no data on patients or their diagnoses and treatment. Therefore, no central resource currently exists to share experience and expand knowledge.
It also means that we lack the statistics and analysis needed to demonstrate to the Department of Health the true extent of the problems we face. The attendees expressed their frustration at this lack of data and committed themselves to addressing the problem.
Positive feedback
The course was very effective and feedback from the delegates revealed that they had found it thought-provoking, having also learnt a great deal from the workshops to take back to their units. They felt that they would now be able to approach their work with greater knowledge and a fresh approach.
Comments from the delegates were very favourable, with people stressing how much they had learnt. They appreciated being part of a small group which created an atmosphere where they felt comfortable to ask questions and discuss individual case studies.
There was a firm commitment by attendees to address the data issues which they will actively follow up. To this end, Professor Bourne has already held discussions with a database provider to help in this area.
Comments included:
‘Format interesting, informative, smaller groups allowed for questioning, speakers not at all intimidating.’
‘Excellent, very thought-provoking’
‘Loved the workshops and people very friendly, very interactive, thank you’
The future
We are very excited that this innovative conference has proved so successful, enabling us to forge ahead with our long-term plan to facilitate better learning opportunities and knowledge sharing. We aim to run a further course in October this year and then hope to run it on an annual basis. We will also continually follow up on the data collection project.
With no similar courses offered by the NHS or elsewhere, the Trust is in a unique position to make a real difference to women’s lives in the future by providing educational opportunities for all those involved in identifying and managing ectopic pregnancy. This will help to ensure that all sufferers receive urgent and appropriate treatment, lessening the trauma of the condition and leading to a better outcome for all.
The Trust is very grateful to KPMG for their generous contribution, without which we would not have had the funds to make a start on this much-needed project. The knowledge sharing and potential for best practice to be available to all women will make a huge difference to those tragically affected by ectopic pregnancy.
