Telehealth Rheumatology

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Telehealth Rheumatology

• Prepared by
• Sujata Connors RN, BN, BSc, CN Dip
• Arthritis Clinical Coordinator, Telehealth
• Clinical Forum
• June 1, 2007
• Edmonton, Alberta

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Forecast for discussion

• Needs of rural Alberta Arthritis Patients
• Needs of rural Alberta physicians in providing
  care for their arthritis patient
• Overview of pilot Project
• Successes to Date
• Next Steps

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Project Development

• Identify local need
• Identify rural resources
• Identify target patient population
• Obtain physician engagement
• Provide on site training in skeletal joint
  examination
• Complete a Service Level Agreement

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Local Need

• Patients
• Often do not seek advice due to
• Travel
• Finances
• Lack of knowledge

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Local Need

• Patients Target population
• Any patient with arthritis
• Inflammatory arthritis early
• Frail elderly who are unlikely to seek care if it
  involves travel, cost, inconvenience to others
• First Nations with arthritis
• Inflammatory arthritis

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Local Need

• Patients Target population
• Disabled patients with arthritis

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Rheumatoid arthritis ulnar deviation and muscle
artrophy, hands
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Rheumatoid arthritis foot deformities
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Local Need

• Patients Target population
• Patients with autoimmune disease if appropriate
  to the TH venue

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Local Need

• Primary Care Physicians
• Suffer from manpower issues
• Acute medicine takes precedence over chronic
  disease

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Local Need

• Consultant
• Suffer from manpower issues

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Physician Engagement

• Pincher Creek
• Rocky Mountain House
• Crowsnest Pass
• Medicine Hat

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Clinical Design and Process
Evaluation
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What Happens in a Session

• Initial consultations
• Follow up consultations
• Case reviews
• Education

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Clinical Design and Process
Evaluation
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What has been added?

• Extension - one more year
• Expansion - one more site for clinical
• - formal education
• Acceleration more time committed

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Successes to Date

• Stats and tables
• Developing the beginnings of a care network
• GPs remain committed despite lack of adequate
  remuneration
• Table of time between referral and being seen
• Decrease in number of no shows

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Pincher Creek
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Rocky Mountain House
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Next Steps

• Engage one more site (within Calgary Health
  Region)
• Education sessions
• Health Care Professionals
• Patients
• Evaluation
• Final presentation hopefully leading to policy
  change

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Questions
Contact Sujata.Connors_at_calgaryhealthregion.ca