Education and training in early detection of breast cancer for health care professionals Erasmus Project

Project Title

Education and training in early detection of breast cancer for health care professionals

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for higher education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2015

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: ICT – new technologies – digital competences; Health and wellbeing; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses

Project Summary

Background: Breast cancer (BC) detection should be carried out by a team involving a number of health professionals from various medical, nursing and allied health disciplines. Students from different health disciplines have often a limited understanding of what other health professionals’ roles are. Interprofessional learning promotes this understanding, giving also an understanding of the interpersonal skills needed for liaison and communication.
Aim of the project was to study and develop the competences of health professionals, lecturers and students in the field of BC detection. To achieve this aim four objectives were planned and carried out: 1) research activities about mammography education and clinical practice regarding BC screening and diagnostics; 2) educational package about early BC detection and diagnostic procedures among nurses, radiographers and biomedical laboratory scientists and lecturers in the field; 3) multimedia educational package on breast screening, imaging and quality assurance competences for radiographers; 4) multimedia educational package on further imaging and laboratory examinations for radiographers and biomedical laboratory scientists. In addition, a 5-day intensive training programme conducted for lecturers and clinical professionals who are going to implement the developed e-learning materials.
Methods: In order to fulfil objective 1, the methodology of systematic literature reviews and surveys with questionnaires (for lecturers, students and radiographers) were used. Three e-learning packages were developed in the evidence-based way, i.e. at first the best available knowledge (regulation documents, literature reviews, research results, expert knowledge, best practices and user views) were searched for and reviewed. This evidence-based method serves also as a pedagogical principle in line with e-learning pedagogy. On the basis of the best available knowledge, the core competences, learning outcomes and material contents were developed.
Target groups involve health professionals working in the service chain of breast cancer detection, primarily in European countries, but open access e-learning materials make the education also available to professionals all over the world. However, the prepared e-learning modules or single items from the modules can be integrated into undergraduate or specialist programmes and used under lecturer tutoring. All the educational institutions belonging to the project consortium are already using or are planning the implementation of the developed learning materials in some way. The intensive programme that was aimed to the implementation of the learning materials was participated on-site by lecturers and clinical professionals from the countries involved in the project, but also by a number of online participants from various European countries.
Impact: Impact of the project is twofold, the impact of the published research results and the impact resulting from the process and outcomes of learning material development. Research results have been made public through open access research articles as well as at congresses and conferences in Europe and beyond. These results have identified the current difficulties in mammography education and clinical practice – this kind of evidence can underpin the promotion of education and clinical practice beyond the institutions participating in the project. The development process of e-learning packages supported the promotion of understanding regarding the nature and importance of interprofessional education and practice among the lecturers and health care professionals participating in the project. In addition, the curricula of participating educational institutions have a component of mammography educations that can be used in various ways.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 289654 Eur

Project Coordinator

Tartu Tervishoiu Korgkool & Country: EE

Project Partners

• INSTITUTO POLITECNICO DE LISBOA
• METROPOLIA AMMATTIKORKEAKOULU OY
• POHJOIS-POHJANMAAN SAIRAANHOITOPIIRIN KUNTAYHTYMA
• HAUTE ECOLE SPECIALISEE DE SUISSE OCCIDENTALE
• OULUN AMMATTIKORKEAKOULU OY
• SATEILYTURVAKESKUS
• HOGSKOLEN I BERGEN