National Model of Care for Hip and Knee Replacement
Development of Toolkit

Hazel Wood, BSC OT, MBA
Executive Director, Bone and Joint Canada

Rhona McGlasson, RPT, MBA,
Programme Director, Bone and Joint Health Network, Ontario

Bone and Joint Canada is well into Phase III of the Hip & Knee Wait Times Initiative, with funding from Health Canada and in-kind support from the Canadian Orthopaedic Foundation (COF) and the Alberta Bone and Joint Health Institute (ABJHI). Phase I consisted of engaging the National Knowledge Translation Network. In Phase II we developed consensus regarding a national Core Model of Care. In Phase III, we are developing a Toolkit to facilitate the implementation of the Core Model of Care across Canada. 

The Toolkit, which will be available online in April 2009, will consist of two parts. There will be an outline of the Core Model of Care for people requiring hip and knee replacement surgery that has been agreed to through a consensus approach which has included representation from across the country. The second component will be a resource file that will provide examples of resources from across the country to enable the implementation of the model. For example, the model recommends a central intake and an assessment programme. The resource file will contain sample referral, intake and assessment forms. The model also recommends that patients receive standardized education prior to surgery and the resource file will provide sample education materials.

The Toolkit complements the work of the Arthritis Strategy (undertaken by the Alliance for the Canadian Arthritis Plan - ACAP), the Osteoporosis Strategy (Dr. Earl Bogoch and Osteoporosis Canada) and the Because You Can prevention strategy that is being launched by the Foundation.

Overall direction and leadership in the development of the Toolkit has been provided by a Steering Committee that has diverse representation (i.e. patient, orthopaedic surgeon, allied health professional, family physician, hospital administrator, regional health authority and provincial government) from across Canada. Through a web site (www.boneandjointcanada.com), teleconferences and e-mail, a wide range of stakeholders from across Canada have shared their resources and provided feedback on the drafts of the Toolkit. Surgeons have provided feedback on all aspects of the Toolkit and have actively participated in a number of teleconferences on March 3, 09. Four Coordinators (BC, AB, ON and NS) have compiled and synthesized the information from across Canada including over 400 pieces of material that have been forwarded for consideration. We are now in the final stages of pulling together the materials and writing the report for which a consultant has been engaged.

To evaluate the Project, we have appointed two evaluation experts who have developed an Inclusivity Tool for monitoring the process of developing the Toolkit. We are also exploring the possibility of conducting a subsequent formal evaluation of the Toolkit for which separate resources will be sought.   

The Toolkit will be launched at a meeting on March 28^th and 29^th in Toronto, during which next steps on using the Toolkit in each of the provinces across the country will be discussed.

As we move ahead with the final stages of writing the report, and look to the activities involved in the future implementation of the Toolkit, we are asking orthopaedic surgeons across Canada to continue to be involved and provide your feedback and support. Those interested in finding out more about this initiative or who have an interest in providing feedback should contact Dr. James Waddell at Cette adresse email est protégée contre les robots des spammeurs, vous devez activer Javascript pour la voir. or visit www.boneandjointcanada.com.