Training staff in the use of the Arts for the Benefit of patients with LOng-term conditions

Chronic diseases are a worldwide burden, causing 36 million deaths each year (World Health Organization, 2013). They are long-lasting conditions, which require regular treatment, administration, management and care, posing staggering socio-economic burdens on societies and health systems around the world. In this context, the use of arts for individuals suffering from long-term conditions can improve their health and mental health outcomes and their quality of life, and ultimately reduce healthcare costs. Recognising that there is much research and evidence that supports the use of the arts having a profoundly positive effect on peoples mental and physical health and wellbeing, this project aimed to educate and share ideas that would enable professionals, carers and others, to use arts as part of the support they provide to individuals. The objective of this project was to develop a new online e-learning package to enable staff to learn new skills to be able to offer patients arts-based therapeutic activities. This was achieved over 3 years by staff from each partner organisation visiting each other's facilities and service and using learning from the experiences of all the partners in this field, drawing these ideas and content together to produce the online learning package ensuring that that it was also culturally and clinically relevant. A total of 8 organisations took part in the project, all working collaboratively, and bringing together their expertise: a university public health team (evaluation and quality control); an NHS mental health service provider; an organisation working with patients with specific conditions (autism); experts in arts therapy and non-verbal communication; an adult education provider; a regional municipality responsible for healthcare; a national mental health association and an e-learning development expert. The main activity undertaken was the creation of the online e-learning package (available at www.tablo-project.eu). The package brings together e-learning chapters on 14 different health conditions, their characteristics and how they affect a person’s life, together with more than 400 arts-based activities for use by professionals and carers. A search facility allows customisation of the search based upon criteria including age, condition, profession, type of art, etc. Other activities included learning mobilities undertaken by all partners, a dissemination event reaching 197 people and project management meetings.The main project results are the creation of the e-learning package (freely available to anyone) and the increased knowledge of the staff that have participated in the learning mobilities. For those directly involved in the project design and development from all partner organisations there has been an increase in knowledge through experiential learning and appreciation of each other’s health provision and outcomes. In terms of impact, this has led to 24.150 people from Europe and US being reached with information about the project, together with increased cultural awareness, appreciation of the diversity of arts and the direct and indirect benefit of the use of arts as a therapeutic tool.The project will lead to an improvement in the quality of education available to professional care staff and, through them, to the range of services offered to patients. Long-term, it is anticipated that the project will lead to a greater number of staff from health care organisations across the EU using the online package to be confident in the use of therapeutic arts activities.