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set out to develop a‘ massive open online course’( MOOC) for an addiction treatment nursing model, partnering with organisations like EUDA, the Ana Liffey Drug Project and others.‘ You need people along the way you can learn from and who will challenge you,’ she told the seminar. The development process involved looking at both nursing needs and client need, she said, including speaking to more than 130 people who were using the services.
They named it the healthy addiction treatment model, with a focus on‘ the greatest need of the clients – psychosocial support.’ They then applied for funding to develop the nursing model and MOOC to provide training for both nurses and
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We all utilise AI every day, often without realising it. So let’ s not be afraid of this technology.
ALEXANDER
BALDACCHINO
allied health professionals, with the proviso that it was‘ free, accessible to large numbers of people, and informed by all of the learning that the academics, nurses and clients had brought.’ The finalised six-hour course now included videos, audio and a discussion forum, and so far more than 3,500 people worldwide had completed it.‘ Don’ t be put off,’ she said.‘ You don’ t necessarily know all the steps, but you figure them out
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as you go along. Address the challenge, look at your client need, and go one step at a time.’
Her organisation had now moved on to a new digital technology project, SUMIT – substance use and mental health interventions – which will cover both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, as they faced common challenges including a lack of integrated substance use services, with‘ people having to tell their story over and over again’.
INTEGRATED SOLUTIONS Part of the preparation was to develop an‘ evidence and gap map’, she said. Over a four-year period the project would provide an integrated, cross-border programme of intervention research, training and skills development, working with around 1,500 people and implementing technological solutions. One challenge would be ensuring everyone in the those cross-border regions had access to the innovations, she said.‘ None of us know how this is going to work out, but we’ re looking forward to learning.’
‘ What we don’ t do is just take a piece of technology and somehow land it within a service model,’ Moira Mackenzie, deputy chief executive officer and director of innovation at Scotland’ s Digital Health and Care Innovation Centre, told the seminar. Her organisation worked in partnership with the Scottish Government’ s drug policy division, and their methodology was to look at service models and identify opportunities for digital interventions. It was also important to find the most commercially sustainable models, she said, as‘ businesses need to make money from selling these devices and initiatives. We try to not look myopically at a particular issue, but across the very complex environments we all work in to make sure it’ s as sustainable and adoptable as it could be.’
The organisation was also one of the delivery partners of the government-funded Digital Lifelines Scotland, a project that
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had now been running for five years.‘ It’ s about how we can use digital to keep people connected to the services that keep them safe as well as family, friends and other support mechanisms.’
DIGITAL EXCLUSION Many people living with addictions were digitally excluded, she said.‘ Much of that is around the cost of connectivity and data, so we looked at what the motivation would be for them to go digital. What’ s the right device for them, what are their literacy levels, do they have an interest in trying to re-engage with the education system, how can we use digital to build up skills and confidence?’ It was important to always provide reassurance around privacy
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Address the challenge, look at your client need, and go one step at a time.
CATHERINE COMISKEY
and security concerns, she said,‘ very much designing the whole approach for inclusion’.
The methodology was predicated on‘ learning by doing’, and had so far funded 35 organisations to provide digital inclusion support, upskilled almost 520 staff and volunteers, and connected with more than 5,500 people at risk of drug-related harm.‘ We work with people to build up skills and confidence, and then start to introduce them to digital products and services,’ she said.‘ People don’ t tend to think“ I’ m trying to manage an addiction issue”. There will be a range of
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other issues they’ re trying to manage in their lives – access to housing, debt advice, loss of connection to family and friends.’
Echoing Comiskey’ s sentiments she told the seminar her team‘ didn’ t know if this was going to work or not. But we knew we had a problem and we needed a solution, so look for partners who are prepared to work with you – as clearly you need some funding in there.’ Finding partners prepared to develop the product as they go was key, as‘ it’ s more satisfying for everyone and meets the needs of the individual and the services’.
Current projects included a video consulting platform and a smartphone-based navigation app to find services and receive alerts.‘ That one is going from strength to strength’, she said, although others, such as adopting Canada’ s‘ Brave’ app – which connects people vulnerable to overdose with peers – had generated‘ a lot of interest and enthusiasm’ but so far the necessary funding hadn’ t been available.
‘ But the experience we’ ve had has given us confidence, even though the context in which we’ re working is continuously changing,’ she said.‘ We need to get devices and connectivity out there to people,’ especially those who were falling through the cracks. Part of the challenge was choosing which projects could be progressed within tight timelines, she said, and wouldn’ t cost‘ huge amounts of money in terms of development’.
On the question of how to motivate people who use drugs to use the tools, codesign was fundamental, she said.‘ We have to engage with people, and it has to be something that’ s important to them. Find out what the individual wants to do with the digital technologies, and use that as the focus for upskilling. You need to find the hook that’ s going to add value to their lives. It’ s not something you can force on people.’
‘ You don’ t just jump in with a solution,’ agreed Comiskey.‘ The answer will emerge through that engagement.’ DDN
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