Category Archives: Healthcare Quality

A Day in the Life

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As part of Patient & Family Centred Care Week, which goes from November 6th-10th, 2017 and Change Day, which occurs on November 17th, 2017, the Calgary Zone of Alberta Health Services has initiated a “Lived Experience” activity. For one day, healthcare professionals will walk in the shoes of a patient as a way of gaining greater insight, understanding, and compassion for what it is their patients live each and every day.

Click on the image below to see what shoes Paul and some other healthcare professionals will be walking in.

And So It Begins

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After months of hard work and planning, the 2017 Quality & Safety Summit is underway. If you are unable to attend the event in person, you can catch the livestream beginning October 31st at 8:30 a.m. http://www.albertahealthservices.ca/news/Page13765.aspx
Here is to a great summit!

Alberta Health Services – An Exciting Initiative

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On Thursday, September 28th, Dr. Verna Yiu, Alberta Health Service (AHS) president and CEO, announced that the AHS board had approved a deal that will see the implementation of an advanced clinical information system throughout Alberta. This information system will serve as an information hub for all of AHS’s clinical care areas, which include hospitals, ambulatory clinics and continuing care centres. Currently, there are approximately, 1,300 information systems being used, all of which will be consolidated by this one system. Click here to read more about this initiative and what it will mean to patients, providers and healthcare as a whole.

Are You Dancing With Your Healthcare Provider?

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In this video, Sarah Krüg uses the analogy of the continuous give and take in the “Tango” to illustrate the foundation of balanced partnership and connection that can exist between patient and physician. Unfortunately, this dance may not be occurring for some patients. As one member of the Patients 4 Change community stated, “To date, there are multiple songs playing at the same time, with each one having a different beat. Suffice it to say, my feet are very sore from being stepped on.” What kind of dance do you share with your healthcare providers?

Share Your Experience

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Do you or someone you know have glaucoma?
Did you or someone you know have an operation related to this disease?
If you answered “Yes.” to the above questions, you might be interested in the following opportunity to share your experience. Below are the details sent to Pts4Chg by CADTH.

CADTH is an independent, not-for-profit organization. CADTH reviews health technologies to help health care decision-makers, patients, health care professionals, health systems leaders, and policy-makers make well-informed decisions and improve the quality of health care services

CADTH researchers are currently planning a review of minimally invasive glaucoma surgery, as compared with other ways to manage glaucoma. They will be doing a comprehensive literature review of patient and caregiver perspectives on glaucoma surgery, in addition to assessing trials on clinical and cost effectiveness.

To help CADTH develop the plan for the research and provide CADTH researchers with the patient perspective into glaucoma and surgery, we would like to hear from individuals who have experience with glaucoma treatments (including surgery). We are looking for volunteers to review our plan and comment on whether we have captured all the important aspects of diagnosis and care from a patient’s perspective.
CADTH would send the volunteers the draft plan for the project, (it’s a 3-page document) and then we would schedule an informal telephone call to discuss the project and make sure we are covering all the issues that are important to patients. The summary notes from the call will be sent to you for your approval before it is shared with CADTH researchers. Your name will be removed from the summary and anything you wish to have removed from the summary notes will be deleted.

CADTH hopes conversations like these will benefit future patients who experience the same condition and that the results of the review and any recommendations that come from it will better reflect the needs of patients if patients like you are consulted in the development of our work.

Thank you for considering to speak to CADTH about your experiences with glaucoma. For more information, or to volunteer please contact: Tamara Rader TamaraR@cadth.ca

Connecting Through Conversation

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For many individuals, their goal is quality of life rather than medically extended longevity.  This is especially true for frail seniors.  Unfortunately, there can be a disconnect between what the senior desires, the actions taken and ultimately the healthcare provided.  As a means of addressing this disconnect, a new study is being conducted in Canada that aims to evaluate ways to improve care planning conversations.  As Dr. John You, project lead for the project states, “Advance care planning can have a significant impact on the patient experience and the family experience….They deserve to have their voices heard.”​  Click here to read more about this study.

Join the Roster

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Are you a socially conscious person with an interest in helping Alberta’s regulated health professions govern their members in a manner that protects and serves the public interest? Are you looking for a new and exciting opportunity to support the complaint and disciplinary responsibilities of the various college councils and associations that govern Alberta’s regulated health professions?

If so, Alberta Health is looking for you to become a member of the Roster of Public Members. Click here for more information. Deadline to apply for this opportunity is August 31, 2017.

Today is the last day to have your say.

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The College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC) and its key partners, Choosing Wisely Canada and the Canadian Cancer Action Network, are dedicated to supporting family doctors in providing the best possible care to their patients and communities. Their goal is to help patients feel comfortable asking questions and having conversations with their family doctor, making the clinical office environment a ‘safe zone’.

Related to this, are questions such as:
1. What does a ‘safe zone’ mean to you?
2. What is important to you in your interactions with your family doctor?

To assist in the creation of a “safe zone” for all, you are invited to participate in the College of Family Physicians of Canada survey.
Please note that the survey closes on Monday, August 21st, 2017.

Your Input is Wanted

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Are you…

  • Interested in improving the patient experience in emergency departments?;
  • Available on Tuesday, August 29th from 9:00 a.m. – 12 p.m.?
  • Iin the Edmonton area that day?.

If you answered “Yes” to the above questions, the Emergency Strategic Clinical Network and the Grey Nuns Community Hospital are looking for you. Click here for more details.