Bone and Joint Health

The Bone and Joint Health Strategic Clinical Network (SCN) brings together expert clinicians, researchers, patients and other groups and individuals dedicated to bone and joint health. Together this diverse group is working to reshape health care by improving access, quality, safety, and sustainability of bone and joint health care across Alberta.

The goal of the Bone and Joint Health SCN is to ensure that all patients with a bone and joint issue are seen, treated and followed up in a timely way, ensuring that the patient sees the right care at the right time.

Priorities and projects

The Bone and Joint Health SCN has work already underway and is looking forward to expanding this in 2013. Right now the initial focus areas are:

Hip & knee replacements

Committed to helping patients receive timely access, as well as safe, high quality hip and knee joint replacement surgery and follow up services. A working group is moving forward on a five-year plan to decrease wait times for surgeries and improve the patient experience before and after surgery. This provincial initiative has resulted in freeing up acute care bed days to help save time and money that can be reallocated to continue reducing wait times and increasing quality of care.

Hip fractures

A working group has developed a care pathway, or plan, that helps to improve patient experience and includes education programs for both staff and patients to ensure timely access to surgery and improvement in patient outcome post-surgery. This project has been piloted and is being shared in a phased approach across Alberta so that no matter where a patient seeks help they have access to the best care possible.

Acute knee injury clinic

The Acute Knee Injury Clinic was started in partnership with the Sports Medicine Clinic at the University of Calgary. The goal is to help patients with a recent injury to their knee get access to help quickly and efficiently. Patients do not need a family physician referral, only complete an online screening and diagnostic tool. For more information visit the clinic website: http://www.sportmed.ucalgary.ca/akic

Other priorities

Other priority areas of need are also important, such as arthritis care (osteoarthritis and rheumatoid), back and spine and foot and ankle. As the Bone and Joint Health SCN continues to move forward working groups will be set up to help research, develop and implement improvements to care in these areas.

What’s new?

The Bone and Joint Health SCN is pleased to welcome Dr. Linda Woodhouse to the team as Scientific Director.

Dr. Woodhouse is an Associate Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine at the University of Alberta where she holds the David Magee Endowed Chair in Musculoskeletal Clinical Research. She also holds Research Affiliate appointments at the McCaig Institute for Bone and Joint Health in Calgary and the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital. She works to bring together clinicians and researchers to advance translational research and strategies to improve access and optimize outcomes in patients with musculoskeletal disorders. She has developed and evaluated innovative models of inter-professional care for patients with osteoarthritis, and cancer survivors who receive conservative treatments in the community.

How to get involved

Strategic Clinical Network success depends on getting the right people involved at the right time. As the Bone and Joint Health SCN moves forward it will continue to need help from clinicians, researchers, patients and communities.

If you are a patient interested in getting involved contact Patient Engagement to learn more.

For others looking at getting involved please contact the Bone and Joint Health SCN Clinical Network Manager via email:  

• sheila.kelly@albertahealthservices.ca