St Luke's Hospice staff scope eShift Service Model in Canada

Sam Kyeremateng (left), Judith Park and John Ford

A project team from St Luke’s Hospice headed off to Canada on Sunday 30^th March 2014 to spend a week scoping the eShift service model that is used for end of life patients cared for in the community. The team consisted of Judith Park Deputy Chief Executive, Sam Kyeremateng Medical Director, John Ford ICT Manager. They were joined by French delegation from Besancon in France who were also scoping the model.Patrick Blanshard, Chief Executive of eShift project lead from Sensory Technologies hosted the event and during the 5 days took the team on a journey from Toronto to Detroit, where they were able to gain insight and understanding from health professionals, patients and carers on the various eShift project models.

Day one was spent at the MaRS discovery centre in Toronto, where the team gained an understanding from Peter Adams, senior health IT advisor of the eShift project implementation models. In the evening they attended a reception, this reception was also attended by health professionals from Waterloo and Detroit, British Consular Officials and Sensory Tech representatives, to name but a few. This allowed everyone to share experiences and discuss future developments of the model.

Day two enabled the British and French teams to explore the last 2 years of life and care a patient would expect to receive in the different health communities – interestingly noting there are no hospices in France; before heading off to Waterloo Wellington CCAC, their equivalent to our CCG’s. Here the Waterloo team presented an overview of the WW CCAC hospice palliative care experience, in which it was apparent that the eShift model had been a core enabler to increase resources and capacity of care across the local healthcare community 24/7, with demonstrable patient and health economy outcomes. Later that afternoon the delegation departed for London and spent the evening shift observing a “live session” of the eShift software being used by a delegating nurse. This was insightful and prompted lively discussion around some of the idiosyncrasies of the system and these discussions enabled some initial concerns in later debate to be allayed.

John Ford (left),

Andrew Matthews, VP Business Development, Sensory Technologies, Dr. J.F. Roch, Director, ARESPA (Palliative and Complex Care Case Management Organization),

Patrick Blanshard, CEO Sensory Technologies, Judith Park, Francois Tattu, ARD Franche Comte (economic development agency), Dr. Frederic Cirillo, CIO, ARS (Regional Health Authority), Sam Kyeremateng

Day three enabled the debate of the night before to continue with the Sensory Tech Team. There was also a presentation by the South West CCAC who also used eShift. This again was very beneficial as it allowed interaction with someone who uses the system. The team then headed off to Detroit for a spot of ice hockey that evening.

Day four was spent at the hospice of Michigan (HOM) in Detroit; initially the team received a presentation from Robert Cahill, President and Chief Executive of their “HOM eShift Complex Care Project” which demonstrated significant savings and figures following the implementation of the eShift model and leading to a 50% reduction in In Patient Centre beds in the region.

Judith Park and Sam Kyeremateng then had the opportunity to undertake a home visit with one of the PSW (Patient support worker) equivalent to our health care assistants, whilst John Ford stayed at the HOM with the RDN. This gave the team a “live” opportunity to see the benefits of eShift to both the health professionals and patients.

Day five Spent at Niagara Falls before heading back to Toronto airport allowed the team to reflect on the meetings and consider how eShift could be applied to support end of life care to patients, carers and health professionals in Sheffield. 

Written by Judith Park, St Luke's.