For Health Professionals

The iValidate “Identifying Values, Listening, and Advising High-risk Patients in Acute Care” program was developed by experts in communication, ethics, end-of-life care, and clinical leaders from Barwon Health and Deakin University, with the goal to improve communication and shared decision-making for end of life care. “Although talk about patient-centred care is ubiquitous in modern health care, one of the greatest challenges of turning the rhetoric into reality continues to be routinely engaging patients in decision making”. Barry MJ, N Engl J Med. 2012

Life-limiting illness can be defined using objective indicators such as the UK Gold Standard Framework (GSF), and the Supportive and Palliative Care Indicators Tool (SPICT). The goal of these indicators is to aid the identification of patients in or approaching the last year of life, to aid the delivery of patient-centred care.  Overall patients can be classified into a clinical trajectory group of cancer, organ system failure, frailty/comorbidity/dementia, or no LLI. These classifications have been tested and used extensively in community and hospital based settings.

Over the last 5 years we have collected data on over 2000 patients in UHG, looking at trajectory of survival, and evidence of discussions about care, for patients with and without life limiting illness (LLI).  

We have learnt that

• At least a third of patients in UHG, or referred to ICU, have a life limiting illness
•  The clinical trajectories of cancer, frailty, or organ failure, reliably identify patients with a high one-year mortality. Patients without a LLI have excellent outcomes.
• Less than half of patients with a LLI return to independent living
• Goals of care are identified in only 34% of patient with a LLI while in hospital

Attend a course

Click here to register for an upcoming course.

Contact [email protected] to register interest or ask for any further details.

• The Core iValidate course is online and run via Zoom.
• The courses runs over 2 days with a blend of eLearning modules to complete in your own time, and 2 x 6 hours webinars.
• The communication skills for engaging with patients with life limiting illness are taught through real life scenarios, video and participants’ own experiences.
• Participants need to complete all components of the blended program to obtain recognition for CPD or college competency.
• Duration:14 hours total. 12 hours webinar, 2 hours online content.

• Thursdays 17 and 24 August
• Wednesdays 23 and 30 August
• Thursday 21 and 28 September
• Thursdays 9 and 16 November
• Fridays 24 November and December 1
• Thursdays 7 and 14 December

Click here for a demonstration