COPD Management Seminars (27 & 29 April 2010)

REVISED DATES - Seminars now in April!!

Axis-Shield UK is delighted to invite you to a free COPD seminar in April. We’re running a choice of two events aimed squarely at you: professional healthcare workers at the sharp end. In fact these seminars will be relevant to everyone with an interest in delivering innovative new forms of care to patients in a community setting.

The big question

We know how hard your job is. Working in the community, you don’t always have access to the sort of equipment you need, but you still have to make critical decisions about patient care. Hospitalising patients isn’t anyone’s first choice, but without the means to test for blood gases there isn’t usually a viable alternative.

So, here’s our question to you: how much more could you achieve for your patients if you had the means to monitor and manage patient’s blood gases in the community? Our seminars don’t just raise the issue for discussion; they offer a real, practical and easily implementable solution...

One innovative solution

It’s called the Abbott i-STAT®: an easy-to-use, hand-held device that delivers laboratory standard results, using a very small sample of blood.

The i-STAT® gives you the power to make absolutely accurate assessments of blood gases and electrolytes in minutes. And because testing can be carried out in your patient’s local surgery or even in their own home, hospitalisations are greatly reduced. Caring for patients with COPD is one of the UK’s most significant healthcare expenses. So this is going to save your PCT a significant amount of money per patient, per year.

Do more for patients

Whether you’re already an i-STAT® user or not, both seminars will help you do so much more for your patients. Through case studies you’ll see how its transforming the way we think about administering care to COPD patients within the community. And through practical accounts from your peers, you’ll see how use of the i-STAT® has re-written the rulebook on COPD patient care.

After all, that’s your bottom line – patient care always comes first. And the beauty of the i-STAT® is that with such accurate blood gas testing data at your fingertips, you can regulate medication levels more precisely than ever before. Patients won’t just feel better; they’ll feel more confident that their medication is perfectly balanced because they will have seen it’s been based on the most up-to-date information available.

Equally, by removing the threat of unnecessary hospitalisation, patients’ stress levels are reduced. For many patients, that will act as a significant boost to their perceptions of their own health - and enhance their quality of life.

Register for your free place today

We’ve picked locations that should give as many of you as possible the chance to attend:

27th April 2010

Rose Bowl Conference Centre, Leeds

29th April 2010

1, Queen Anne’s Gate in London

So what can you expect? Both events will feature a selection of case studies that show how having the ability to perform blood gas testing at the point of care has been hugely beneficial to patients and their carers. Other case studies will look at ways of improving home oxygen services - something we know a lot of you will be very interested in. We’re also planning to include the latest update on interpreting blood gas results. In addition, there will be plenty of practical help and information available on using your i-STAT® for the first time, or, if you’re an existing user, on getting the best possible use out of it.

Remember, both events are absolutely free. We’re looking on them, as we hope you do, as a chance to pool our ideas and find even more ways to enhance the patient experience. And we’re sure that those of you who’ve been using i-STAT® for some time will have plenty to share on the sort of improvements you’ve already been able to make.

Here’s why you need to attend:

·         If you’re an existing i-STAT® user, you'll pick up new tips and gain greater insight through case studies and discussion.

·         If you’re new to i-STAT® you’ll hear first-hand accounts of how it has changed the whole experience of dealing with COPD patients in the community.

·         If you’re a funding manager, you’ll discover how this portable application of existing hospital technology is leveraging huge saving for PCTs.

·         If you’re looking for an innovative approach to effective management of COPD and respiratory disease you’ll get it; i-STAT® also offers testing for electrolytes, chemistries, coagulation, haematology and cardiac markers.

Reserve your place now

To reserve your place on either seminar, or simply to talk over what we’ve got planned, give Sue Younghusband a call on 01480 862100, or e-mail her at: sue.younghusband@axis-shielduk.com.

Come and join us, and help improve the way we care for our COPD patients.