March 30, 2006
A $54-million provincial investment will improve province-wide access to health services and enhance the quality of patient care.
Of these funds, $12 million will be used to continue the hip and knee replacement project currently being piloted in Edmonton, Calgary and Red Deer.
This project, launched in 2005, set up central clinics to assess patients for hip and knee replacements, streamlining the referral process. By centralizing appointment bookings, patients are referred to the most appropriate surgeon with the shortest wait list.
As part of the project, the province provided funding for an additional 1,200 hip and knee surgeries, including enhanced hospital care. The interim report from the pilot project found wait time reductions of:
- 85 per cent for orthopedic consultations
- 90 per cent for surgery
As well as a 30 per cent reduction in hospital stays.
The majority of the funds, $42 million, will support the development of innovative care models for cardiac care and breast and prostate cancer care, as well as the provincial rollout of the learnings from the hip and knee replacement project.
Cardiac care
Patients currently face waits throughout the care process. A three-year plan is being developed to identify the barriers and create solutions to improve access to cardiac services.
Cancer
A prostate cancer committee is working with urologists in Calgary to develop an improved comprehensive care program. A Rapid Access Clinic has also reduced wait times for specialist consultations from several months to between two and three weeks.
A demonstration project for a new breast cancer care program is also being planned for 2006.
Children’s mental health
Alberta is the first province to begin tracking wait times for children using mental health services. Wait time goals are currently being drafted.
More information |
