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Saturday, 29 October 2011
Learning Objective 1: identify methods to engage partners in setting up a regional approach to care
Learning Objective 2: identify methods to overcome barriers in setting up a regional approach to care
OBJECTIVES: To improve and standardize access for patients requiring hip or knee total joint replacement across a Local Health Integration Network (LHIN) in Ontario. To reduce the wait time for patient referral from GP to orthopaedic surgeon. To increase the availability of time for orthopaedic surgeons to perform additional total joint replacements. DESCRIPTION: A collaborative approach between four hospitals within a LHIN who perform hip and knee replacements in order to lower the wait times for surgery by creating a regional central intake office to direct referrals to the appropriate site. Collaboration occurs within each hospital between the disciplines of medicine, nursing and rehabilitation. Patients and referring physicians can chose the first available hospital/surgeon, a specific hospital, a specific surgeon, in either official language. Patients will be assessed initially by either an Advanced Practice Nurse or Physiotherapist at one of the four hospital assessment centres within two weeks of receiving a referral from a family physician. Patients who are surgical candidates see an orthopaedic surgeon within eight weeks of the first assessment. This improves the conversion rate to surgery for orthopaedic surgeon clinic time. Non-surgical candidates, will be provided with conservative management measures through a partnership with the Arthritis Society. DISCUSSION: The regional central intake centre opened January 2010. The outcomes measured include: wait times, patient satisfaction, referring physician and orthopaedic surgeon satisfaction. Will discuss successes, barriers, and applicability to other services.