I would love to see the academic detailing service continue in long-term care homes. It provides an excellent educational resource which can be flexible to meet the needs and practices of particular facilities. The development standard approaches to these issues and the evidence-based resources provided have been valuable to a home which does not have the resources to develop this type of work.
The service individualizes the use of evidence-based recommendations at the level of the home and assists with the implementation in context to that particular home. Because of the service, three-month medication reviews have been modified to highlight issues related to falls and antipsychotics. The project helped develop the roles of other team members in understanding and implementing the non-pharmacological interventions of BPSD. Documentation was also excellent in providing tools staff could use.
Academic detailing is engaging and allows for management and senior staff to have an impact through their involvement. It can be implemented individually at multiple levels but promotes teamwork at the same time. Resources for staff and family have been highly valued. It also allows for interaction to determine needs and follows-up to assist in implementation of changes which has been highly valuable.
– Dr. Lyla Graham, Medical Director, St. Patrick’s Home of Ottawa