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Because your voice matters.

Deep Vein Thrombosis in the Emergency Department – a Physician Quality Improvement Project

Posted

Closed

Commitment: Short-term

Connection method: Virtual

Open to Provincial Region

Posted

Volunteer Opportunity
Have you or a loved one visited an Emergency Department to manage deep vein thrombosis (DVT)? We want to hear from you and learn about your experience. Help us improve the experience for patients like you at Royal Jubilee Hospital!

RSVP Now

Lead Organization/Department
Department of Emergency Medicine, Royal Jubilee Hospital

Aim
The focus of this Physician Quality Improvement project is to decrease unnecessary and inappropriate use of the Emergency Department for the workup of a non-emergent, but very important condition, deep vein thrombosis (DVT). The group of Emergency Room doctors involved would like to hear from patient partners to understand their experience when they have had to wait in the Emergency Department waiting rooms (e.g., perhaps after referral from primary care) for care related to their DVT. Patient perspectives are critical in this work to better understand how we can improve the quality of care for our patients and families.

Patient partners will:
• Meet one on one virtually with a project team member for an interview for a single, one hour session.
• Be invited to share their experience of when they have had to wait in Emergency Department waiting rooms (e.g., perhaps after referral from primary care) for care related to their DVT.
• Share their thoughts on how their experience could have been improved.

Level of Engagement
This opportunity is at the level of consult on the spectrum of engagement. The promise to you is that the health care partner will listen to and acknowledge your ideas and concerns, and provide feedback on how your input affected the decision.

Eligibility
• Open to patient partners from: across the province of BC
• Experience (personal or family) having visited an Emergency Department in BC for the purpose of managing deep vein thrombosis (DVT)
Patient partners give a lot of themselves: time, energy, and the sharing of personal stories or experiences that may be difficult. It is important that this not be done at the expense of your own health/wellbeing. There is a potential risk that patient partners may experience emotional distress through reflecting on and sharing what may have been a negative care experience. With this in mind, we ask that you only consider participating if you feel it would be safe and comfortable for you to do so.

• Please note:
– This opportunity, as with all Island Health patient engagement opportunities, is not open to Island Health staff members or patient partners who are currently employed by Island Health. If you have questions regarding this, please email patient.experience@islandhealth.ca
– The placement process for this opportunity may include an informal interview between the volunteer and the health care partner.
– Applicants must have previously attended a PVN orientation session and completed the Patient Partner Commitments form. If you have not attended an orientation session but you are interested in this opportunity, please contact Charmaine Niebergall directly to see if accommodations may be possible.
– As required by the October 14, 2021 Public Health Order released by the Provincial Health Officer, proof of vaccination is required to access any in-person meetings at an Island Health site. Proof of vaccination can be provided by way of a Vaccination Passport or Vaccination card, along with government issued photo ID. For patient partnership activities that are virtual only (via Zoom, video conference, phone, etc.), proof of vaccination is not required.

Logistics
• Number of vacancies: 2-4
• Date/Time:
– Approximately 1 hour
– During the month of February 2022
– 1 on 1 interview with a health care partner project team member
– Exact day and times are TBD
• Location: Virtually using Zoom
• Commitment: 1 hour interview, and some additional time to read materials in preparation

Reimbursement
This engagement will be virtual, using Zoom. No out-of-pocket expenses are anticipated for this engagement opportunity. However, if you meet the eligibility criteria but have concerns about your ability to participate, please contact Charmaine Niebergall cniebergall@bcpsqc.ca to see if support options are available. We are always seeking to better understand and reduce barriers to participation.

Background
Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) is a common acute medical condition that requires urgent diagnosis and management to prevent significant complications. Due to the absence of a patient-centered, streamlined pathway, DVT is often associated with 1-2 Emergency Department (ED) visits by patients and countless hours in the ED waiting room. In addition to the personal cost patients experience, this places additional unnecessary strain on the health care system, contributes to overcrowding, and prolonged wait times. This Physician Quality Improvement Project hopes to learn from patient partners about their unique patient experiences to improve the quality of care for those experience DVT, and reducing wait times for this common acute medical condition in the ED.

Health Care Partner Contact Information

Charmaine Niebergall
Engagement Leader, Patient & Public Engagement | Vancouver Island
778.700.2064
cniebergall@bcpsqc.ca

From Our Community

Jeanette Foreman

Northwest Quality Improvement Lead, Quality and Innovation, Northern Health

Jeanette Forman

PVN has really helped us engage with patient partners to improve health services at Northern Health.  It is more and more becoming the norm to include patients in the design, delivery and evaluation of health services.  PVN education and supports, involving patient partners, have enabled us to develop the capacity to include the patient voice to make care better and achieve better health outcomes.