International health professionals tuned in to view the Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder webinar
David Lai, Co-director, SHINE & student pharmacist
(Edmonton) The Engaging Professionals and Students in FASD Awareness and Prevention webinar drew in audiences from almost 1,700 Canadian locations and 68 international locations. The live webinar attracted viewers from Argentina, Australia, El Salvador, India, Indonesia, Puerto Rico, Spain, United States and Viet Nam."The webcast chat was unbelievably active with doctors, pharmacists and nurses engaging in conversation on how to use the information provided in their day-to-day practice. Lawyers were also discussing the benefits of having this insight to better work with their clients," said Aimee Caster, communications director, Alberta Centre for Child, Family and Community Research.
The webinar was part of a three-year program initiated by Dr. Sharon Mitchell, Clinical Associate Professor at the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences in 2010 with support of Alberta Health. She joined forces with Centre for Child Family and Community Health to establish a FASD knowledge mobilization program. The centre partners with the University of Alberta, local communities and the Alberta Government."Pharmacists are the most accessible front line healthcare professional. They are in the ideal position to participate in FASD prevention efforts and support patients with FASD," said Dr. Mitchell.
Dr. Mitchell found that many health professionals in addition to pharmacists needed FASD awareness, prevention and early diagnosis information. The program quickly grew with medical, law and psychology students requesting the FASD seminars.
"This program has far exceeded our expectations."
Dr. Gail Andrew,medical director for the FASD Clinical Services Pediatrics program at the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital, Dr. Mitchell and Cheyenne, a young woman living with the disability, have presented the FASD program at six locations across Alberta in the past two years. Groups who have hosted the presentation include the Alberta Collage Association, Alberta Pharmacists Association, Student Health Initiative for the Needs of Edmonton (SHINE) clinic, Norhtwest FASD, Alberta FASD and Alberta Health Innovates Health Research Transfer Network of Alberta.
Dr. Mitchell, Dr. Andrew and Cheyenne have also presented the informative program to third-year student pharmacists for several years, as a part of the core curriculum. A future goal is to have all faculties involved in working with individuals with FASD and their caregiver view the webinar.
The presentations content is evidenced based and a significant amount of the research comes from the work done at the University of Alberta's Department of Pediatrics and Educational Psychology.
Student pharmacist Sarah Brost volunteers at the SHINE clinic where patients living with FASD are part of the clinics target population. She requested the March 4 seminar.
"I thought it would be a good idea to provide the FASD seminar to all students across a range of health professions as a means to educate them about special and underprivileged populations."Alberta Pharmacy Student's Association council members David Lai and Josh Torrance are student pharmacists who also promoted Brost's proposal. "The March 4 webinar was a key event for the Alberta Pharmacy Student's Association's Pharmacy Awareness Week," said Torrance.
During the webinar, Dr. Andrew, Dr. Mitchell and Cheyenne shared the impact of alcoholic exposure on the developing fetus and the effect FASD has throughout a person's life.
"Cheyenne truly brings our program to life," said Dr. Mitchell
"Close to one child is born every day in Canada with the multiple disabilities associated with FASD. It is the leading cause of preventable brain damage and birth defects. Often mothers need to give up their child, with FASD, to foster care," said Dr. Mitchell.
Dr. Andrew described the multiple FASD disabilities and why people with FASD need more support.
"We need to do things differently. If you don't realize the behaviour is an expression of brain damage from prenatal exposure to alcohol all you're focusing on is the bad behaviour. We cannot change the damaged brain but we can change the environment."
The FASD Awareness and Prevention campaign: Engaging Alberta Pharmacists program received $100,000 from Alberta Health. Dr. Mitchell is the principle investigator of the program that supports the Alberta Health FASD 10-year Strategic Plan.
Dr. Mitchell's next step is to present the program, in Edmonton, at two conferences in September.
"The need for FASD education crosses the fields of healthcare and non-healthcare professionals."
Register for the conferences:
- Consensus Development Conference on Legal Issues - September 18 - 20, 2013
- First International Conference on Prevention of FASD - September 23 - 25, 2013
View the March 4 webinar: Engaging Professionals and Students in FASD Awareness and Prevention: http://vimeo.com/61116844.
"As an attendee to the recent webinar event and having watched the taped version, the content of these seminars have proven to be effective in changing practice not only for the pharmacists who attended, but to the other health practitioners that attended as well."
Shelley Birchard, Manager
Addiction and Mental Health Branch
Primary Health Care Division, Alberta Health