Orthopaedic Outreach: An innovative programme for orthopaedic patients in remote areas of Newfoundland and Labrador

Donaghy, Conall; Smith, Nick C.; O’Dea, Frank

doi:10.4103/cjrm.cjrm_43_21

Cited by 1 publication

(1 citation statement)

References 6 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…In-person follow-up gives specialists the opportunity to improve patient outcomes by addressing post-operative issues; the rate of follow-up appointment completion may be lower if out-of-town patient travel is required [ 4 , 18 ]. Rural patients in Canada can also experience considerable cost savings as a result of outreach services, as demonstrated by costing modeling for outreach orthopedic surgery clinics in remote Labrador [ 19 ] and outreach rehabilitation medicine clinics in remote Manitoba [ 20 ]. Total transportation and accommodation cost savings, which took into account both costs saved for patients and costs incurred for specialists, was C$2,185 per patient visit in 2019/20 for the Manitoba clinics and C$1,080 per patient visit in 2019 for the Labrador clinics.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The motivations and experiences of specialists who provide outreach services in rural operating rooms: A survey study from British Columbia

Parajulee,

Stoll,

Humber

et al. 2024

PLoS ONE

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Introduction Outreach care has long been used in Canada to address the lack of access to specialist care in rural settings, but research on the experiences of specialists providing these services is lacking. This descriptive survey study aimed to understand 1) specialists’ motivation for engaging in outreach work, (2) their perceptions of the quality of care at their rural outreach hospital, and (3) the supports they receive for their outreach work, in order to create a supportive framework to encourage specialist outreach contributions. Methods In July 2022, specialist physicians who provide outreach operating room services at rural hospitals participating in the Rural Surgical and Obstetrical Networks initiative in the province of British Columbia were invited to complete an anonymous survey. Results 21 of 45 invited outreach specialists completed the survey (47% response rate). Three-quarters of respondents had a surgical specialty. The opportunity to deliver care to underserved patients was the most common motivator for outreach work. Rural hospitals received high ratings from respondents on overall safety and various aspects of communication and teamwork. Postoperative care was a concern for a minority (one-fifth) of respondents, and about half had experienced unnecessary delays between procedures some or most of the time. Generally, respondents felt integrated into rural teams and reported receiving adequate nursing and anesthetic support. The two most common desired additional supports were better/more equipment and space and additional staffing. All 19 respondents not planning to retire soon intended to provide outreach services for at least three more years. Conclusion Specialists providing outreach OR services in small volume rural hospitals in BC usually have altruistic motives for outreach work. For the most part, these specialists have positive experiences in rural hospitals, but they can be better supported through investment in infrastructure and health human resources. Specialists intend to provide outreach services long-term, indicating a stable outreach workforce. More research on the facilitators and barriers of specialist outreach work is needed.

show abstract