Conference Presentation

The following is a text version of the presentation given at the Conference on Timely Access To Health Care, held February 8-9, 2007 in Toronto, Ontario.

Interprovincial Partnerships: The Western Canadian Children's Heart Network

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Presentation Outline

• Acknowledgements
• Objectives
• Who is the WCCHN?
• Why was the WCCHN set up?
• Current Services Provided
• Goals of the WCCHN
• 1. Share Clinical Results
• 2. Collaborate on Complex Cases
  • Case Conferencing (Patients referred to the Stollery)
  • Outcomes:
  • Improving Patient Flow:
  • Adult Congenital Care
• 3. Education
• 4. Share Patient/Family Resources
• 5. Collaborate on Research
• Quality Improvement: Focus on Access to Services
• 6. Share/Discuss Plans
• Building the Partnership
• Contact Information

Acknowledgements

• Ministry of Health:
  • British Columbia
  • Alberta
  • Saskatchewan
  • Manitoba
• Western Canadian Children Children's Heart Network Partners:
  • BC Children Children's Hospital
  • Alberta Children Children's Hospital
  • Winnipeg Children Children's Hospital
  • Royal University Hospital
  • Stollery Children Children's Hospital

Objectives

• Who is the WCCHN?
• Goals, Objectives and Accomplishments of the WCCHN to date.
• Discuss the Interprovincial Partnership that has been established amongst the WCCHN centres

Who is the WCCHN?

• Established in 2000
• Hired a full full-time coordinator in 2002.
• Home office of the WCCHN: Capital Health (Edmonton

Why was the WCCHN set up?

Top of Page

• Four of five centres had pediatric cardiac surgery programs (pre pre-2001)
• Limited numbers of patients requiring pediatric cardiac surgery.
• Need for all children to have access to optimal pediatric cardiac care in all centres.

Current Services Provided

• Pediatric Cardiac Surgery (2 centres)
• Pediatric Cardiac Transplant surgery (1)
• Pediatric Electrophysiological Services (3 centres)
• Pediatric Cardiac Catheterization (Diagnostic & Interventional): All centres.
• Follow-up care pediatric cardiology clinics:
  • On site services and partnership clinics
• Cardiac MR - 3 dedicated, 2 others shared.

Goals of the WCCHN

1. Share Clinical Results
2. Collaborate on Complex Cases
3. Education
4. Share Patient/Family Resources
5. Collaborate on Research
6. Share/Discuss Plans

1. Share Clinical Results

• Various databases in use at this time.
• Establishment of an Interprovincial Pediatric Cardiology Database.
  • Multi-centered Info System Teams
  • Multi-centred Privacy Officer Committee.

2. Collaborate on Complex Cases

Multiple forums exist to do this.

• Cardiac Surgical Conference hosted by the Stollery occurs every Tuesday for discussion of patients referred for surgery or general discussion of challenging patients to examine other options.
• Surgical Discussions: Vancouver and Victoria (Mondays).
• Pediatric Cardiac M & M rounds bi monthly.
• Clinicians have been "practicing practicing" at other centres
  • Transplant Clinic; Cardiac Cath Cath, Electrophysiological studies
  • Surgeon collaboration.

Case Conferencing (Patients referred to the Stollery)

Top of Page

Every Tuesday Afternoon Attendance:

• All WCCHN centres pediatric cardiology staff, pediatric cardiac surgeons.
• Review of Patient History; Cardiac MRIs Echocardiograms,cardiac catheterizations

 

Outcomes:

• Discussion with all members of the team related to next steps:
  • Surgery candidate.
  • Wait /Reassesment required.
• Patient prioritized for surgery.
• Patient placed onto the waiting list.

Improving Patient Flow:

• Patients are contacted with regards to the outcome of the discussion by:
  • Local cardiologist
  • Cardiac Surgery Coordinator
• Pre-Admission is booked day before surgery.

Afterwards:

• Patient updates provided to all centres at next conference.

Adult Congenital Care

• January 2006
• Frequency: bimonthly basis.
• Similar set up to pediatric case conference.
• Additional centres that provide care to adult congenital cardiac patients also participate
  • St. Paul's (Vancouver): Peter Lougheed Centre(Calgary); Regina General Hospital (Regina, SK).

3. Education

• Sharing of educational opportunities at the pediatric cardiology residency training programs (All centres participate in giving sessions).
• Allied health sessions to provide educational information related other areas of pediatric cardiology (unit practices, blood transfusions, etc.....)
• Telehealth
  • Main method of communication regarding patient care.

4. Share Patient/Family Resources

Top of Page

• Sharing of Family Resources for teaching.
• Clinical Practice Guidelines being reviewed/developed at the physician level.
• Echocardiography Protocols developed collaboratively.
• Multi-centred commitment to developing pediatric cardiac transplant resources for clinicians and families.

5. Collaborate on Research

• Nursing: Multi Multi-centre Family Satisfaction Survey has been completed.
• Other initiatives being planned.

Quality Improvement: Focus on Access to Services

• Saskatoon: Additional partnership clinics to increase access to pediatric cardiology services in Southern SK.
• Edmonton: Murmur clinic
• Pre-Admission Clinic (Stollery): increased family awareness of process through development of a video which is sent out to families prior to their appointment.

6. Share/Discuss Plans

• Goal to maintain good communication amongst
  sites.

Building the Partnership

Standing Committees:

• Steering Committee
• Clinical Operations Committee
• Nursing Coordinators Committee
• Family Advisory Committee
• Adult CV Committee
• Allied Health Sessions
• Public Relations Committee

Database Focused:

• IT Steering Committee
• IT Integration Committee
• Privacy Officers

Ad hoc/Integrated with Other Committees:

• Website Committee
• Telehealth/AV Coordinators

Contact Information:

Sharon Chow

• Coordinator, Western Canadian Children Children's Heart Network
  
• sharonchow@cha.ab.ca
• Phone: 780-407-1522