In the August 2003 issue of MedicinesTalk, we wrote about the successful Whyalla QUM project. In this article, we will tell you about one of the projects that has arisen out of that project.

In 2000, the Whyalla QUM project conducted a series of community consultations to determine quality use of medicines issues of concern to the local community. It then held a series of workshops and meetings to prioritise the issues and develop strategies to address them. At the end of the process, the project team recommended four projects they felt would improve the community’s use of medicines. One of them was the establishment of a health information and resource centre in the town.

Moving the establishment of a resource centre from wishful thinking to reality became possible when the city of Whyalla was chosen as the South Australian site for the Sharing Health Care Project. This national project aims to help people manage their chronic conditions more effectively in partnership with their health care professionals. The resource centre proposal was incorporated into the Sharing Health Care SA Project.

Using medicines appropriately is a major component of all courses.

The resource centre — known as the ‘In Our Hands Health Information and Resource Centre’ — opened in a Whyalla shopfront in mid 2001. It provides health information and resources, chronic illness self-management courses, and a base where people with chronic illnesses and their support groups can meet. A team of 13 volunteers staff the centre 10.00 am – 5.00 pm weekdays. The centre has had over 2,800 contacts since its inception.

The centre defines health very broadly so the resources cover a vast range of issues from the obvious health topics, such as diabetes and using medicines wisely, to everyday issues that affect people’s health, such as dealing with Centrelink and making a living will. The resources include pamphlets, books, charts and videos. If the centre does not have printed resources on a particular topic, the staff have been trained to use the internet to access appropriate information that can be downloaded for the inquirer.

The ‘In Our Hands Information and Resource Centre’
shopfront in Whyalla, SA

The In Our Hands Health Information and Resource Centre runs ‘Moving Towards Wellness’ courses, which are self-management courses for people with chronic illnesses. The courses are suitable for anybody with a chronic condition as well as their carers and families. Each course runs for six weeks, and each session lasts about two-and-a-half hours. In 2003, the centre ran 10 courses with 12 to 15 people in each course. The centre also runs shorter arthritis and osteoporosis self-management courses.

The Moving Towards Wellness courses help people learn to understand their condition and its effects, especially the pain, depression and immobility that often accompanies chronic illness. The courses also help people better manage their conditions by helping them recognise potential problems, access services, and deal with the health  system. Using medicines appropriately and liaising with doctors and pharmacists about their medicines is a major component of all the courses.

The informal course sessions are facilitated by trained, volunteer peer educators who help the participants learn for themselves by sharing with each other their knowledge and experiences of chronic illness. As a result, the information learnt is relevant and practical. Each week, the participants are encouraged to set themselves a goal to achieve before the next session. The goal may be returning to the resource centre to learn more about their condition and its management, including their medications. Alternatively, it may involve starting a health-promoting activity such as walking regularly or stopping smoking. In 2003, the In Our Hands Health Information and Resource Centre ran 26 public information sessions that were attended by 190 people. Eleven of these were run by a local pharmacist who covered a wide range of topics, including diabetic medications, hormone replacement therapy and home medicines reviews.

The centre is located next to the Care Planning Support Clinic, which is also part of the Whyalla Sharing Health Care SA Project. The clinic refers consumers to the resource centre for information and peer education about their condition, and encourages them to participate in the centre’s self-management courses. The clinic staff also assist the centre’s volunteers by helping them find information for inquirers, and answering questions they have been unable to deal with.

The resource centre is currently funded as part of the Sharing Health Care SA Project but funding for that project and hence the centre ends in June 2004. The local community is keen to maintain the centre for many years to come, so they have formed a committee of management and are about to incorporate. This will enable them to apply for funding from governments and other funding bodies.

The centre’s committee 

For more information visit the Sharing Health Care SA website. 

National Medicines Symposium 

The centre’s committee National Medicines Symposium, National Prescribing Service (NPS) and the Pharmaceutical Health And Rational use of Medicines Committee (PHARM) are holding their third biennial National Medicines Symposium in Brisbane on 28 – 30 July 2004. The symposium will bring together consumers, health professionals, policy makers, researchers and academics, health organisations, community organisations and the pharmaceutical industry. Consumer organisations are most welcome to send representatives. The main themes discussed will be population groups with special needs, integration and coordination, addressing barriers and enablers, promoting quality use of medicines to consumers and professionals, measuring and evaluating, and communicating benefits and risks.