The Sláintecare Integration Fund project Towards Selfcare in Headache is delivered by the HSE Clinical Strategy & Programme Division. This project involves shifting the balance of care from the acute hospital setting and into the community by offering holistic, patient-centred care, at the lowest level of complexity. The purpose is to reduce the reliance on secondary/tertiary care, harness existing resources within the community network, and to promote a programme of self-care and self-management for those with chronic disorders. The target group for the project are patients with headache disorders.
The project has established new protocols for management of headache, that provide for trained nurse prescribers who work alongside neurologists with expertise in headache, and in collaboration with GPs, the Migraine Association of Ireland and local pharmacies. 85 pharmacists are participating in the programme and over 360 patients have been referred to community pharmacy.
Significant improvements in new/return ratio in the headache clinic in St James Hospital were observed. Following a successful evaluation, ongoing funding is being provided for this project in the participating hospitals. A letter confirming same issued on Friday 27 May 2022.
The Sláintecare Integration Fund project promoting physical activity programmes for people with neurological conditions in the community is a Section 39 project employing an integrated health care approach through physical activity programmes for adults with neurological conditions in the community in CHO 3 Area. The project is being delivered by MS Ireland in collaboration with the University of Limerick, Limerick Sports Partnership and Acquired Brain Injury Ireland. Active Neuro shifts the focus from rehabilitation for new onset or worsening of symptoms, to a health promoting physical activity model for prevention. Rehabilitation is available to some patients through the Community Neuro Rehabilitation Team in Limerick that offers multidisciplinary rehabilitation and the stroke unit at University Hospital Limerick has an early support discharge team that provides home based rehabilitation. The target group for this project are patients with progressive neurological conditions.
On-line interventions were delivered to 440 participants with strength maintained or improved in 82% of participants and an approximate reduction of 51 hospital bed days used. Following a successful evaluation, funding of €66k has been transferred to CHO 3 for this project. I can confirm a funding letter re mainstreaming of this project was issued on Friday 27 May 2022.
