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

Help on accessing alternative formats, such as PDF, MP3 and WAV files, can be obtained in the alternate format help section

(425 K) (5765 K)

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?

• 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)

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

• 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