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PACT PROGRAMME


What is PACT  The European Society of Intensive Care Medicine (ESICM) has produced PACT (Patient-centred Acute Care Training), a modular multidisciplinary distance-learning programme, aimed at improving and harmonising the quality of acute care medicine. The Programme contains 44 modules (see below) covering the ICU curriculum.

 

PACT, 1st edition, has been produced in electronic and paper versions.   

The new web-based second edition is now available. The 2nd Edition of PACT is exclusively available in electronic version. 

The current electronic version is already available and you can subscribe to it. See How to Subscribe for more information.

You can see extracts from selected modules in its current electronic version in the demonstration 

 

The modules will be implemented on a new e-learning platform, more user-friendly, allowing more interactivities and functionalities by January 2009.

 

The updating of the scientific content of the 44 modules will start by January 2009. The new Editor-in-Chief, Dermot Phelan is currently forming the board and the members will update all the modules at least every 3 years.
 
The programme contains 44 modules divided into 4 categories:

  

CLINICAL PROBLEMS

  • Altered consciousness
  • Arrhythmia
  • Bleeding and thrombosis
  • Environmental hazards
  • High risk surgical patients
  • Hypertension
  • Hypotension
  • Immunocompromised patients
  • Major intoxication
  • Multiple trauma
  • Oliguria and anuria
  • Pyrexia
  • Respiratory failure
  • Sepsis and MODS
  • Severe infection

 

 SKILLS AND TECHNIQUES

  • Airway management
  • Basic clinical examination
  • Clinical imaging
  • Haemodynamic monitoring
  • Homeostasis
  • Infection control strategies
  • Mechanical ventilation
  • Nutrition
  • Organ donation and transplantation
  • Respiratory monitoring
  • Sedation
  • Transportation

 
ORGAN SPECIFIC PROBLEM
  • Abdominal problems
  • Acute brain ischaemia
  • Acute hepatic failure
  • Acute myocardial ischaemia
  • Acute renal failure
  • COPD and asthma
  • Heart failure
  • Neuromuscular conditions
  • Pancreatitis
  • Traumatic brain injury
    		•  PROFESSIONALISM
  • Clinical outcome
  • Communication skills
  • Ethics
  • Health technology assessment
  • Organisation and management
  • Quality assurance and cost effectiveness
  • Teaching and learning
    		•

     

      
    CONTENT  The programme incorporates educational strategies such as task-based learning and is based on a concept by the Centre for Medical Education, Dundee, Scotland.  

      
    The content of each module is based on real life in the ICU. Each module consists of a series of Tasks and 'Patient Challenges' (PATCH). The PATCH describes a clinical scenario (involving one or more patients) in which the user is asked to interpret the nature of problems and make management decisions. The PATCH generates 'Learning issues' which link to the Tasks. The Tasks reflect the day-to-day work of intensive care practitioners and take a patient-based problem as their starting point, rather than the more traditional 'textbook' approach. 

     
    A range of interactive elements is incorporated within each module to provide a comprehensive learning experience. Users can answer Questions, reflect on their knowledge by considering THINKS, undertake Activities to apply knowledge in practice and learn from the experience of others through Anecdotes. At the end of each module there are self-assessment multiple-choice questions (MCQs).

    Extra material is available in the electronic versions.

     

    HOW PACT CAN BE USED  The flexible design allows the trainee to use the programme in a variety of ways to meet his/her own particular needs. The programme can be used as preparation for the European Diploma in Intensive Care (EDIC) and other national diplomas, preparation for re-certification, an update in the practice of intensive care medicine, an in-depth course... or quick review. Trainers and course organisers within hospitals can also use PACT.


    FURTHER INFORMATION... FURTHER READING...  An interesting article on the PACT Programme appeared in the October 2003 issue of the Journal of the Intensive Care Society, UK. Another article also appeared in the October issue of the brand new "ICU management" Journal (Vol4, Issue2-2004-Oct-Dec) successor of Hospital Critical Care Journal (www.icu-management.org). Written by some members of the PACT Steering Committee, the article highligths the educational aspects and novel nature of the PACT programme.

     

    THE SOCIETY OF CRITICAL CARE MEDICINE  SCCM designates some PACT module for up to a specified number of AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Please go to the SCCM website.

    The members of the SCCM benefit from the ESICM member prices for purchasing the PACT programme.

     

     

    THE PACT EDITORIAL BOARD  

    Dermot Phelan, the new Editor-in-chief is currenlty forming the editorial board. 
    The PACT editoral board is a subcommittee of the Education and Training Committee which is part of the Division of Professional Development, together with the Editorial and Publishing Committee.

     

     

    SIMULATION WORKSHOPS INCORPORATING PACT  

     

    Since Berlin 2004, during ESICM Congresses, Simulation workshops are organised. The PACT Modules are displayed in the electronic version and used as training scenarios to programme the simulator (Human Simulation technology from METI). A special room is devoted to run the workshops.
    The workshops always meet the same success each year (positive feedback from the participants who felt that the simulation experience added to the learning experience).

     

      

    This is a joint initiative of ESICM and SAInT - Berlin Simulation Training (BeST) Charite-Mitte, Germany, SimLab from University Medical Centre Groningen, Netherlands and the Scottish Clinical Simulation Centre, Scotland

     

     

     

     

    FULL TEXT OF ICM REFERENCES AVAILABLE

     
    ESICM, the Society's journal 'Intensive Care Medicine' and Springer-Verlag, the Publisher, have jointly agreed to make available to PACT electronic users the full text (pdf) of ICM articles cited in the modules (published and forthcoming).
    This enhancement is already available to PACT subscribers. Please note however that if you are a member of the ESICM Society, you already benefit from the ICM journal in the price of your annual subscription (paper copies and access to Springer website via your personal ESICM login). To become a member of the Society, click here

     

     

    PACT FOUNDERS AND SPONSORS  

    The ESICM and in particular the PACT Steering Committee, acknowledges the unrestricted educational grants from the following PACT Founders and Programme Sponsors.

       



    The module "Respiratory failure" benefit from an educational grant from  
     

    EXAMPLE OF SUPPORT:  Eli Lilly Nederland has provided a free site licence to 7 Dutch hospitals (OLVG, VUMC, AMC of Amsterdam, Leiden UMC, UMC St. Radboud - Nijmegen, Utrecht UMC and Academic Hospital Maastricht), through an unrestricted educational grant. Lilly Portugal also sponsored site licences for 11 hospitals in Portugal. For information about such opportunities, please contact pact@esicm.org 

    Do not hesitate to contact our Founders and Programme Sponsors as they might be able to help you to subscribe to the programme.