Specialty
Respiratory Medicine

Educational technique
HHT Teaching for patients, their families, and healthcare professionals.

Details
Put simply, Hereditary Haemorrhagic Telangiectasia (‘HHT’ or ‘Osler-Weber-Rendu Syndrome’) and pulmonary arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) are genetic conditions which lead to abnormal blood vessel formation.  Subsequent bleeding or other complications cause major health problems for affected individuals and their families.

Honorary consultant in respiratory medicine in Imperial College Healthcare and Lead Clinician for HHTIC London Dr Claire Shovlin draws on Imperial’s 27 years of on-site experience in this field to provide what is essentially a national service for patients and families with HHT and pulmonary AVMs.

Between Sept 2008 and April 2010, 181 new patients were referred to the service from 83 Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) across Great Britain, including more than one third of PCTs in England. Current figures continue to indicate similar referral rates, at 10-12 new referrals each month, from hospital specialists, and Primary Care physicians.

These referrals are indicative not only of the UK’s need for this service, but also represent a significant opportunity for learning. Seizing this opportunity, Dr Shovlin who regularly organises and speaks at HHT meetings, organises family meetings to educate patients, family, staff and trainees. The second meeting in 2009, coincided with the opening of the new facilities at Imperial College Healthcare’s Hammersmith Hospital, and the meeting’s overwhelming success has led to the UK HHT Meetings becoming biannual events, held in association with the Telangiectasia Self Help Group. The last of these was attended by over 120 individuals.

Drawing on the expertise of over 19 experts including consultant physicians, nurses, dieticians, and pharmacists, the UK HHT Meeting is an exceptional learning opportunity for healthcare professionals of all levels of experience and fields of interest. For more information regarding forthcoming UK HHT Meetings, or requests for ward/speciality based teaching sessions in these important conditions, please contact Dr Shovlin’s office directly.