Session Information

Friday, September 18, 2009

14:00-16:00  Town Hall -FREE and open to the public

Moderated by Joanne Paulson of the Johnson Shoyama Graduate school of Public Policy.

Making the 'our' in 'Your Health Journey' count- we focus on the challenges and opportunities each patient journey presents to health professionals working together. It all begins with the story of Julie Devaney...

photo by: Nadia Cheema

Julie Devaney is a patient-expert in the fields of disability rights advocacy and health care delivery.

She will be performing her play, "My Leaky Body" which explores clinical interactions in the Canadian health care system from her perspective as a patient. She has performed her work and provided workshops in Washington, New York and the UK, and coast to coast in Canada.

Julie is sought after by hospitals, disability advocates as well as theatre organizations and has received major media attention, including a profile in Chatelaine Magazine where Heather Mallick described, "Devaney's writing talent turns emergency-room neglect into poetry... one of the few individuals brave enough to complain without blaming, her courage is raw." For more information see: www.myleakybody.com

Check out this new video- featuring scenes from the show and interviews with healthcare professionals like you.

 

 

17:30       President's Banquet
Guest Speaker - MONICA KNIGHT

Monica Knight is an entrepreneur, community developer, speaker, facilitator, teacher and consultant. Her rich and varied life path now informs her current passion for driving change in Saskatchewan and Canada. She began her career teaching in England, India and Ireland, later moving to South Africa as a human resource executive for a chain of retail stores. It was in South Africa that Monica experienced the African philosophies of cooperation and interdependence in business and community development; that changed her life.

Monica is currently using her Education Diploma and Masters in Leadership and Training towards a PhD at the University of Regina.
To download Monica's full bio, click here.

Entertainment by

 Jump Me Martha is a five-piece swing-based band that plays classics from the Swing Era, as well as their own tunes they hope will become new swing standards.

 

Saturday, September 19, 2009

08:00-09:00   Breakfast Discussion
Who's Talking- Social Media

Take a look at social media uses in health care with Roger Francis, Partner, motivia communications.

Become familiar with social media today and its uses in the health care industry. Learn how these networks can be used to inform and further dialogue among health care teams and patients.

 

 

 

 

09:30-10:45   Opening Keynote

Andrew Coyne
National Editor of Maclean's

Renowned as a colourful and controversial commentator on everything Canadian, Andrew Coyne is very representative of the publication he writes for. On the National Post’s verve, Andrew has commented, “If there’s one thing I think the Post stands for is it’s against greyness, it’s against dullness. It’s against the conformity and bland smiling faces of Canadianism that is too often presented…”

Andrew Coyne is national affairs columnist for The National Post. Raised in Winnipeg, Mr. Coyne  graduated with a B.A. in Economics and History from the University of Toronto and a Master's degree  from the London School of Economics. He has been an editorial writer and columnist for The Financial Post, The Globe and Mail, and the Southam newspaper chain.

His work has also appeared in a number of other publications in Canada and abroad, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The National Review, Time, and Saturday Night.

Andrew Coyne has been nominated for four National Newspaper Awards, winning twice. He is also a past recipient of the Hyman Solomon Award for Excellence in Public Policy Journalism.

 

11:00-12:00    Plenary Session
"Client, Patient, Customer... Who Am I?" panelist discussion

The Presidents of the SRNA, CPSS and SCP will be lead through a series of questions by a moderator discussing how each respective discipline views the patient… right down to the semantics of “client” “patient” or “customer”. How do these definitions or references explain how each profession sees interdisciplinary teams? You are invited to shareyour insights and ask questions as we journey down this path together. 

 

13:00-13:50   I. Concurrent Sessions

Advancing the Health of Our Community Through an Interprofessional Student-Managed Wellness Center

FOR FULL SESSION NOTES, CLICK HERE.

Carole Courtney BSW, RSW, Coordinator, Student Wellness Initiative Toward Community Health

The Student Wellness Initiative Toward Community Heath (SWITCH) is one of four student-managed primary health care centres in Canada. Developed by health science students who recognized their formal education had a gap in learning how to work interprofessionally and with a social conscience, SWITCH has been augmenting the experience of students since opening in October, 2005 by helping students learn how to integrate their experiences into their respective curricula.

From Saskatoon’s Westside Clinic, SWITCH operates two shifts per week when no other primary health care is available to approximately 20,000 westside residents. Student volunteers from three institutions in fifteen different colleges are mentored by professionals from almost twenty different disciplines to provide year-round interprofessional after-hours clinical, social and programming services to core neighbourhood residents, most of whom are of First Nations and Métis ancestry and many of whom live in marginalized conditions.

Students gain experience with providing clinical services and interprofessional team building; program development and delivery; counselling; advocacy; referrals and local resources; learning about other professions and working with a Cultural Support Worker to become a culturally sensitive practitioner. Clients gain from having access to a unique model of care and the best of interprofessional practice. Programs include: community kitchens, fluoride varnishing, crafts, childcare, free dental services and a food store where clients can buy affordable produce.

Because SWITCH is a registered charity and non-profit organization, students develop valuable leadership skills as well as administration experience with fundraising; business management; human resources; community development; political action; marketing and building partnerships with other agencies. SWITCH provides students an educational experience they literally can get nowhere else.

Our twenty minute presentation outlines how SWITCH works with our particular client base and how students from fifteen different colleges work collaboratively in a volunteer health care setting of their own design.

 

Canada's only Client Advocate: A Great Liaison Between Patients, Health Care Educators and that Healthcare Treadmill!

FOR FULL SESSION NOTES, CLICK HERE.

Susan Cherland, Client Advocate, Saskatchewan Division, Canadian Cancer Society

 This poster presentation illustrates how the Cancer Patient Client Advocate at the Saskatchewan Division of the Canadian Cancer Society assists patients, families and healthcare providers. This position is new and unique in all of Canada. The benefit of our Client Advocate position is that the client advocate is free to work in, around, through and with established organizations and healthcare agencies and healthcare providers to support, arrange for, and ensure the best personal, one- on- one care and support for patients. Our Client Advocate is able to work independently, allowing for more flexibility than is possible within established healthcare agencies. Because of this, many small issues can be resolved before they become big issues. It is a “win-win” position for all parties. In the short time since the position was created, we have worked with hundreds of clients, assisting them with everything from information sharing to accompanying them to court as supportive advocates. It is our hope to show healthcare educators the value of this free service. The goal is to work together to make the cancer experience less stressful for all parties!
 

A Look at the Saskatoon Health Region's Chronic Pain Centre

FOR FULL SESSION NOTES, CLICK HERE.

Jay Tolley, Manager, The Chronic Pain Centre

It has long been recognized that a rehabilitation approach focused primarily on recovery of function is not effective for everyone recovering from injury. A small proportion of clients experience chronic pain, complex presentations and higher psychosocial needs, which do not improve significantly with the traditional ‘functional restoration’ approach.

In 2004, the Saskatoon Health Region formed an innovative partnership with third party insurers and established the Chronic Pain Centre (CPC). It is the sole provider of multidisciplinary assessment and treatment for those with chronic pain in Saskatchewan.

Based on best practice guidelines for the treatment of chronic pain, the goal of the six week, half-day CPC treatment program is to teach skills that enhance self-management of pain. The program is both educational and experiential in nature. It is delivered by an experienced multidisciplinary team of physical therapists, occupational therapists, Ph.D. psychologists, registered nurses and physicians.

This presentation will outline the CPC program and how the health professional team collaborates to achieve excellent treatment outcomes for our clients.
 

 

13:55-14:45   II. Concurrent Sessions

Improving Health Product Safety: Research, Resources, and Reporting

FOR JENSEN NOTES, CLICK HERE.

Karen Jensen MSc, BSP, Manager, Saskatchewan Drug Information Service
& Nancy Saunders RN, BSN, Coordinator, Canada Vigilance Regional Office — Saskatchewan

 The Saskatchewan Drug Information Service (SDIS) is a free, confidential drug information service staffed by licensed pharmacists. SDIS maintains two toll-free telephone services: one for healthcare professionals and one for the general public. The services can also be accessed by fax or through the SDIS website on the Internet. Callers are provided with objective, accurate, up-to-date information on prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications and herbal products. The two major sponsors of SDIS are Saskatchewan Health and the Saskatchewan College of Pharmacists.

The Canada Vigilance Program is part of Health Canada's post-market surveillance program that collects and assesses reports of suspected adverse reactions to health products marketed in Canada. Post-market surveillance enables Health Canada to monitor the safety profile of health products once they are marketed to ensure that the benefits of the products continue to outweigh the risks. The Canada Vigilance Program (formerly the Canadian Adverse Drug Reaction Program) has collected reports of suspected adverse reactions since 1965. Health professionals and consumers submit reports on a voluntary basis either directly to Health Canada or via manufacturers. According to Canada's Food and Drugs Act, it is mandatory for manufacturers and distributors (Market Authorization Holders - MAHs) to submit adverse reaction reports to Health Canada via the Canada Vigilance program. Canada Vigilance is a program of MedEffect™ Canada.

Reliable accessible information about health products is essential for their safe use. The services of the professional arm of SDIS are available to all healthcare disciplines. SDIS consultants on the consumer line work with HealthLine nurses to provide the general public with access to drug-related information in the evenings as well as during regular office hours. SDIS and the Vigilance Program are complimentary services. SDIS consultants refer callers with reportable adverse reactions to Canada Vigilance or submit reports for callers; Canada Vigilance refers reporters who want more information about their adverse effect to SDIS. This presentation will highlight the variety of information available through SDIS, the protocols and resources used by drug information consultants and look at a few examples of typical questions. Participants will also be shown safety information resources available on Health Canada’s MedEffect™ Canada Website and how to report an adverse reaction to the Canada Vigilance Program.

This session will provide an overview of two valuable and perhaps underutilized healthcare resources. These resources give professionals and the public the opportunity to further inform and educate themselves and to participate in the journey to improve health product safety and the safety of all Canadians.

 

An Evaluation of the Accuracy and Consistency of Patient Medication Information at Hospital Discharge

FOR FULL PRESENTATION NOTES, CLICK HERE.

James Lacey, Saskatoon Health Region

Rationale — Hospital discharge is a crucial time for medication reconciliation because patients are most susceptible to medication errors during transitions of care. The current discharge process from Royal University Hospital’s Clinical Teaching Unit may provide inconsistent medication information to the patient, family practitioner and community pharmacist. The purpose of this project was to evaluate the accuracy and consistency of patient medication information and the clinical significance of medication discrepancies at hospital discharge.

Objectives — (1) Determine the level of concordance between the best possible medication discharge plan (BPMDP), discharge prescription, and medication sections of the physician discharge summary and nursing discharge care plan; (2) Identify the number of medication discrepancies between the BPMDP, discharge prescription and medication sections of the physician discharge summary and nursing discharge care plan; (3) Categorize and classify the clinical significance of each medication discrepancy.

Methods — Admitted patients with a completed best possible medication history were followed until discharge. A BPMDP was created and compared to the standard discharge documents. Concordance between all discharge documents was recorded. Medication discrepancies between the BPMDP and the discharge documents were noted and reconciled. The clinical significance of discharge discrepancies was evaluated by a physician and pharmacist.

Results — Four percent of patients (1/25) had concordance between the BPMDP and all discharge documents. Fewer medications were documented on the discharge prescriptions, physician discharge summaries, and nursing discharge care plans compared to the BPMDPs (p < 0.05). Undocumented intentional discrepancies occurred at rates of 4.4, 2.3, and 4.1 per patient, respectively. Medication omissions accounted for the majority of discrepancies on the discharge documents. Discrepancies were rated as clinically significant 23.6 - 45.8 % of the time.

Conclusion — Inconsistent and incomplete medication information is provided to patients and care providers at discharge. The actual clinical significance of discharge medication discrepancies warrants further evaluation.

 

Interdisciplinary Collaboration on the Issue of Seniors' Falls in Saskatchewan

FOR FULL PRESENTATION NOTES, CLICK HERE.

Gord Moker, CEO of Safe Saskatchewan & Sarah Nixon-Jackle, Older Adult Wellness Program, SHR & Janet Barnes, Senior Recreation Therapist, Older Adult Community, SHR

This presentation explains one collaborative strategy aimed at reducing the number of injury hospitalizations due to seniors’ falls. With over 49 organizations involved and 35 contributing members from all Saskatchewan Health Regions this is one collaborative group that devised a strategy that incorporates medication modifications with exercise programs, environmental modifications, education, clinical interventions and assistive/protective devices.

15:00-16:00    Closing Keynote

 

 Paula Beard
Director of Operations, Canadian Patient Safety Institute

Paula has worked on a variety of patient safety initiatives on a local, provincial, national and international level. She participated in the consultation process held by the National Steering Committee on Patient Safety (2002) and is also a contributing author to the Canadian Root Cause Analysis Framework (2006).

Prior to joining the Canadian Patient Safety Institute, Paula worked with Saskatchewan Health and the Regina Qu-Appelle Health Region in the area of safety and quality of care, resolution of client concerns and risk management.