The OCA is involved in an advisory capacity with a University of Health Network project funded by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (MOHLTC) to pilot three Interprofessional Spine Assessment and Education Clinics (ISAEC). The purpose of the project is to implement and test a rapid assessment and chronic condition management approach to care for low back pain (LBP) patients.
Ontario wait-times to see a spine surgeon are among the highest in Canada and many of these referred patients would not benefit from surgical care. The aim of this pilot is to:
- Improve outcomes and satisfaction with recurrent, persistent, sub-acute or chronic LBP patients.
- Decrease utilization of lumbar spine MRIs.
- Reduce unnecessary referrals to LBP-related (medical) specialists.
The pilot projects will be run in three locations, Toronto, Hamilton, and Thunder Bay. Each location will have a dedicated Advanced Practice Leader (APL) and five part-time Advanced Practice Clinicians (APCs) with independent practices in their respective communities. The APCs may be chiropractors, physiotherapists, occupational therapists or nurse practitioners.
Specific qualifications and a detailed description of duties are included in the job description.
The University Health Network is managing the recruitment process and will be seeking APCs to work one day a week until March 21, 2013. All successful candidates will undergo 13 weeks (1 day per week) of practical and theoretical training for the project at the region's hospital site from August to the end of October 2012.
In our experience with interprofessional projects, successful applicants are likely to:
- have the confidence of the health care community
- have ongoing continuing education that has made them very familiar with the current evidence and low back clinical practice guidelines
- work in a multidisciplinary clinic and/or have strong referral relationships (e.g. family physicians, medical specialists)
- be a resource and a facilitator for other providers in the region
- have the interpersonal skills for team based care
- have familiarity with or have participated in research/evaluation projects
As with the OCA's Consulting Chiropractor Project, chiropractic inclusion in this initiative, further demonstrates the expanding role of the profession within the health care system.
Please note, while this posting is being circulated to the entire OCA membership, a key factor in selecting the candidates will be proximity to the individual project sites.
Please review the complete job description which outlines all the requirements of the role. If you would like further information or assistance, please contact Andrea Endicott, Senior Policy Analyst at aendicott@chiropractic.on.ca.
