Fraser Health (FH) serves an aging and ethnoculturally diverse population. In 2021, our Long-Term Care and Assisted Living (LTCAL) Research Team, embedded in FH, set up the LTCAL Research Partners Group to help guide research priorities for LTCAL and facilitate patient partnerships in research. However, we have had challenges recruiting members from ethnocultural communities to be involved in the Partners Group. This is problematic because ethnocultural groups are often left out of the foundational stages of research, which can result in studies that do not meet their needs. To address this gap, we want to identify barriers ethnoculturally diverse people may perceive or experience to meaningfully participating and ways they can be addressed. Our ultimate goal is to recruit two to three ethnoculturally diverse new members for the existing LTCAL Research Partners Group. To facilitate this, we will hold consultation dialogues with three different South Asian groups, the fastest growing ethnic community in the region, to obtain their insights about research, challenges to participation and what may help. These consultative activities will also help make inroads with these communities and build relationships with researchers and patient partners.
Team members: Karim Chagani (Long-Term Care and Assisted Living; Fraser Health); Leah Coppella (Simon Fraser University – Department of Geography); Tyler Cole (Simon Fraser University – Department of Geography); Akber Mithani (Long-Term Care and Assisted Living; Fraser Health); Suzanne Fox (Integrated Long Term Care and Assisted Living Services; Fraser Health); Susan Brown (Integrated Long Term Care and Assisted Living Services; Fraser Health); Ian Cameron (Long-Term Care and Assisted Living; Fraser Health); Janice Sorensen (Long-Term Care and Assisted Living; Fraser Health); Valorie Crooks (Simon Fraser University – Department of Geography); Emily Carpenter (Diversity and Language Services; Fraser Health); Alia Januwalla (BC SUPPORT Unit, Fraser Centre); Arun Garg (community-based physician); Rajeev Mohindru (Progressive Intercultural Community Services Society); Sherman Chan (Multilingual Orientation Service Association for Immigrant Communities).
Substance use disorder is a growing problem affecting racialized men in Canada. There is increased awareness and understanding about why and how racialized men use substances, yet little is known about effective treatments and interventions. The project will use anti-racist research methods to design and study an intervention to support a racialized group, South Asian men who use substances. The team will consist of Punjabi men who use substances, community organization members, health care providers, and researchers. Using a rigorous facilitated approach that highlights evidence from literature and draws upon members’ life experiences, the team will design an intervention to support South Asian men who use substances in the Lower Mainland. Once the design is complete, the intervention will be studied in a feasibility study and pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) in preparation and justification for a full scale RCT.
Co-leads:
- Sonia Singh
Fraser Health
- Larry Funnell
Patient partner
- Tania Bubela
SFU
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Executive sponsor:
- Linda Dempster
Fraser Health
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Low-trauma fractures (which occur spontaneously or following minor trauma) are a frequent consequence of osteoporosis and can lead to significant disability, and even death, for patients. One low-trauma fracture often leads to a cycle of recurrent fracture. For example, approximately 50 percent of patients who suffer a hip fracture have a history of past fracture.
In BC, the annual cost for osteoporosis-related fractures has been estimated at $269 million for hospital care, Medical Services Plan and Pharmacare alone. Despite the availability of effective treatments that reduce future fracture risk by up to 50 percent, less than 20 percent of patients suffering low trauma fractures receive such treatments in their post-fracture care. This is the osteoporosis care gap.
The evidenced-based Fracture Liaison Services (FLS) model has been adopted worldwide as the most effective model for preventing recurrent osteoporosis-related fractures in a cost-effective manner. FLS involves a dedicated coordinator who captures the patient at the point of orthopedic care for the low-trauma fracture and integrates secondary fracture prevention into the overall fracture experience. FLS coordinators link fracture patients with community family physicians to ensure sustainability and follow-through of initiated interventions to prevent another fracture.
In 2012, the Secondary Fracture Prevention Research Team in Fraser Health (FH) brought together osteoporosis and fall prevention experts to develop an FLS model that fit the context of the BC health-care environment. In 2015, the model was implemented at Peace Arch Hospital (PAH).
A controlled before and after study demonstrated a three-fold increase in appropriate fracture prevention interventions taken up by low-trauma fracture patients in the FLS group compared with a control group. FLS is now a permanent program at PAH. In this project, the team will explore how the FLS model implemented at one hospital can be successfully adapted and scaled-up to other hospital sites within FH.
Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) 16 will inform the team’s implementation strategy and the RE-AIM 17 model will frame the process and outcome evaluation. The key outcome is to inform an FLS implementation strategy that can be used to spread the FLS model across BC, thereby improving patients’ quality of life after low-trauma fractures and decreasing health care costs related to recurrent fracture.
Co-leads:
- Sonia Singh
Fraser Health
- Larry Funnell
Patient partner
- Tania Bubela
SFU
|
Executive sponsor:
- Teresa O’Callaghan
Fraser Health
|
Low-trauma fractures (fractures that occur spontaneously or following minor trauma) are a frequent consequence of osteoporosis, leading to significant disability and even death for patients.
One low-trauma fracture often leads to a cycle of recurrent fracture. For example, half of patients who suffer a hip fracture have a history of past fracture. In BC, the cost for osteoporosis-related fractures has been estimated at $269 million for hospitals, the medical services plan, and Pharmacare alone.
Despite the availability of effective treatments that reduce future fracture risk by up to 50%, fewer than 20% of patients suffering low trauma fractures receive such treatments in their post-fracture care. This is the osteoporosis care gap.
The evidenced-based Fracture Liaison Services (FLS) model has been recognized and adopted worldwide as the most effective model for preventing recurrent osteoporosis-related fractures in a cost-effective manner. FLS involves a dedicated coordinator who “captures” the patient at the point of orthopedic care for the low-trauma fracture and seamlessly integrates secondary fracture prevention into the overall fracture experience. FLS coordinators link up with community family physicians to ensure sustainability and follow-through of the initiated interventions to prevent further fractures.
In 2012, the Secondary Fracture Prevention Research Team at Fraser Health brought together osteoporosis and fall prevention experts locally, nationally and internationally, to develop an FLS model that fit the context of the BC health care environment. In 2014, the model was implemented at Peace Arch Hospital (PAH) in BC. A controlled before and after study demonstrated a three-fold increase in appropriate fracture prevention interventions received by low trauma fracture patients in the FLS group compared to a control group. FLS is now a permanent program at PAH.
This project will explore how the FLS model implemented at one hospital in BC can be successfully adapted and scaled-up to other hospital sites within BC. The Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research will inform the implementation strategy and the RE-AIM model will frame the process and outcome evaluation. The key outcome will be to inform an FLS implementation strategy that can be used to scale up to other hospital sites across BC, improving patient quality of life after low trauma fractures and decreasing health care costs related to recurrent fractures.
The purpose of this research is to determine why such high numbers of patients – up to 1 in 5 – who undergo knee replacement surgery are dissatisfied with the outcomes of their surgery. Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA), is the most requested joint replacement surgery in Canada, and will continue to increase in response to the needs of an aging population. A greater understanding of the variations in patient outcomes, and the factors that contribute to the dissatisfaction rate, will inform surgical program planning and help to standardize procedures and services to achieve better outcomes.
Continue reading “Why are so many patients dissatisfied with knee replacement surgery? Exploring variations of the patient experience”
