The Project Team welcomes feedback and inquiries. You can contact a member of the Project Team by clicking here. As a part of the commitment to transparency and for the reference of all stakeholders, the Project Team will post answers to received questions on a regular basis, as they come in.
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
1. How do you ensure decisions made within this project are evidenced-based?
Through extensive literature reviews, consultation with expert panels, impact assessment and evaluation, and following best practice guidelines, ICCP continues to use evidence to support testing a new approach to home care delivery.
2. What tools have you developed through this project and will they be shared in the future? How will they be shared? Will all CCACs be using the same tools?
To date, a number of tools and improved processes have been developed by the sites. An example of these tools are as follows:
a. Interprofessional Care Paths
b. A Common Client Chart
c. ICCP Lower Leg Assessment
Tools are designed to promote standardized practices across CCACs and Service Providers, however it's natural that each CCAC will adapt them locally based on the unique needs and services of some geographical areas. Currently tools are shared amongst ICCP Wound Care sites via a Members Portal where sites can log in and share their work. The long-term plan to spread these tools and processes to all CCACs, as well as ensure sustainability, is being developed.
3. What is the focus for the work on palliative care?
The focus for ICCP Palliative Care is broader system integration. Recognizing that CCAC services comprise a portion of the palliative services needed or desired by most palliative clients, a strong alignment with other parts of the health care system and social supports is necessary to ensure a positive client experience.
4. How are the hospices involved in this project?
The palliative component of ICCP involves greater collaboration between LHINs and CCACs to develop a system-wide approach and the expectation is that through this collaboration, sector integration will involve all key players, including hospices, in the ICCP model for palliative to support continuity of care.
5. Is management of pain and symptoms part of your work in palliative? If so, what tools do you predict will be utilized? Will measurement be standardized across the province in the future?
Pain and symptom management is a key element in palliative care and a focal point for ICCP. It is anticipated that pain and symptom management specialists will be part of an interdisciplinary care team or the client’s “circle of care.” As part of the circle of care, the standardized use of appropriate tools and language will be developed so that outcomes will be measurable and well understood by all members of the caregiver team.
6. How does a quality improvement approach lead to more effective care?
The quality improvement approach ensures reduction in non-value added work. ICCP Wound Care sites have been involved in Kaizen and Value Stream Mapping events which help to identify areas of redundancy in their current practice. By reducing the time staff members spend duplicating work or undertaking non-value added work, this will allow for more time to be spent on monitoring client outcomes (to ensure the greatest quality of care for populations), and on the requirements of clients with more complex needs.
7. How do I get involved?
As a starting point, monitor our website for ongoing events and updates. Discuss the project with your local CCAC to gather information and to share what you are doing to enhance the client care experience. One of ICCP's goals is to leverage the great work already being done in the province for home care clients.
8. How are you involving clients and families?
ICCP is using an Evidence-based Design approach for continuous quality improvement that involves bringing clients, caregivers and staff together to provide input into the care plan, thereby improving care for clients. Examples of this approach are Value Stream Mapping and Kaizen events.
9. How does ICCP describe integration?
We have reviewed integrated models that result in improved outcomes, client satisfaction, and cost effectiveness. ICCP views integration as a continuum of processes and strategies – from the macro to the micro – necessary to foster integration to deliver value. Integration demonstrates the following characteristics:
- Comprehensive network of providers including primary care and non-institutional services
- Multidisciplinary teams across the continuum
- Standardized care and use of evidence-based clinical care guidelines and protocols
- Measurement of care provided and client and system process outcomes
- Financial structures that provide incentives and enable pooling of multiple funding streams
- Levels of integrative activity include: system integration, organizational integration, and clinical integration – lack of integration at any one level impedes integration across all levels
- Culture of strong leadership, proving supportive, collegial environment and shared vision
- Governance that promotes coordination, alignment of financial incentives, shared risk and accountability
 |