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Laboratory Quality Council, Island Health

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Open to Vancouver Island Region, Patient partners from the Greater Victoria area

Last updated

Within Island Health, public labs perform more than 4 million tests for over 225,000 patients annually. Chances are you or someone you care for have received lab services. If so, the Laboratory Quality Council would like to hear from you!

Open to: Patient partners from the Greater Victoria area

Lead Organization or Department

Laboratory Medicine, Island Health

Aim

The Laboratory Quality Council is part of a series of Island Health quality councils and committees that are responsible to set and meet high standards of care and to maintain a continuous commitment to quality improvement. Patient partners will be invited to draw upon their experience(s) of care to assist the Council to better understand and consider the experiences and perspectives of patients. This will also help the Council to ensure that its quality improvement priorities reflect the needs and goals of patients.

Level of Engagement

This opportunity is at the level of consult on the spectrum of engagement (www.iap2.org). 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

  • Experience accessing laboratory services as a patient, family member, or caregiver
  • Comfortable sharing lived experiences in a group setting for the purposes of quality improvement
  • Comfortable participating as a member of a working group or committee which includes a range of health professionals
  • Some familiarity and interest in understanding data would be an asset (additional support and orientation may be made available in this area as needed)
  • Willing to attend monthly meetings in person at the Royal Jubilee Hospital
  • Previously attended a PVN orientation session and completed the Volunteer Agreement. If you have not attended an orientation session but you are interested in this opportunity, please contact Leah Smith directly to see if accommodations may be possible
  • The placement process for this opportunity may include an informal interview between the volunteer and the health care partner

Logistics

  • Vacancies: 2
  • Date and Time: Meetings are held on the third Tuesday of every month from 8:00 am to 9:30 am
  • Location: Royal Jubilee Hospital Campus at 1952 Bay St, Victoria
  • Term: 1 year term with the possibility of extension
  • Commitment: Attendance at monthly meetings lasting approximately 1.5 hours

Reimbursement

Pre-approved mileage and parking will be reimbursed, as well as approved transit expenses such as bus fare

Background

Island Health’s Laboratory Services is used by patients while they are in the hospital, as well as outpatients who may access services through their local hospital laboratories when they leave the hospital or emergency department. These services may include, but are not limited to, specimen pickup and collection, and testing of samples (such as urine and blood, as well as testing of surgical samples). These services are also often commonly accessed by patients who require on-going blood collections for monitoring of diabetes or cancer treatment. The Council is co-chaired by the Administrative Director and Medical Director of Laboratory Services and includes clinicians, administrators for each geography, two patient partners, and a representative from the quality and patient safety portfolio. Council meetings are decision and action oriented with a preference for consensus based decisions. The Council is primarily focused on learning for improvement and is responsible for the following:
  • Provide organizational and medical guidance in quality planning and the setting of Island-wide expectations/standards for laboratory Services.
  • Develop and monitor Island-wide metrics and key performance indicators to evaluate clinical outcomes and adherence with clinical standard setting organizations (such as The Diagnostics Accreditation Program BC and Health Canada).
  • Provide approval of program-specific clinical decisions support tools including policies, protocols, guidelines and clinical order sets
  • Collaborate with other Program Quality Councils on quality matters
Examples of some of the Council’s current quality improvement priorities include:
  • Improving sample drop off at outpatient laboratories across Island Health
  • Ensuring that laboratory results are copied to all appropriate physicians
  • Responsiveness to concerns identified by the Patient Care Quality Office process and/or patient safety events

Health Care Partner Contact Information

Leah Smith
Engagement Leader, Patient and Public Engagement | Southern Vancouver Island
778.678.3977
lsmith@bcpsqc.ca

 

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