Member, Choosing Wisely at Island Health Patient-Centred Public Awareness Campaign Working Group

Volunteer Opportunity
Join our patient-centred approach to Choosing Wisely Canada at Island Health and help develop a print and social media awareness campaign to reduce unnecessary tests and treatments in health care!

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Lead Organization/Department
Island Health, Medical and Academic Affairs

Aim
Choosing Wisely is, at its heart, an awareness campaign. Our aim is to bring awareness to Choosing Wisely recommendations and promote patient and provider conversation in the community.

Patient partners are a crucial piece to move this work forward. We want to engage with patients from the beginning to ensure the recommendations chosen include the patient perspective.

Patient Partners will:
• Work alongside Island Health physicians to choose 6 to 12 low-risk recommendations from Choosing Wisely Canada
• help to develop a social media and print campaign
• be engaged in each step of this work including incorporating feedback and in developing the messaging

Level of Engagement
This opportunity is at the level of involve on the spectrum of engagement. The promise to you is that the health care partner will involve patients in planning and design phases to ensure ideas or concerns are considered and reflected in alternatives and recommendations.

Eligibility
• Open to patient partners from: Vancouver Island region
– We are looking for island-wide engagement, ideally seeking a patient partner from each of the three regions (south, central, north) in both major centres and rural areas.
• Experience (personal or family) having received care with Community Care Providers (GP/Walk in Clinics) and/or Emergency Departments.
• Comfortable with using Zoom for virtual meetings.
• The following would be an asset but are not required:
– Marketing experience
– Communications experience
– Teaching experience

• 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: 3-4
• Date/Time:
– January – April 2022
– 1x per month, 1.5 hour meetings, for a total of 4 meetings
– 1 additional meeting June 2022 to review initial feedback and adapt the campaign as needed
– Additional time will be required to review reading materials in advance of meetings
• Location: Virtual, using Zoom
• Commitment: January 2022 – June 2022 (6 months)

Reimbursement
Participation in the working group will be virtual. 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
Island Health is committed to “Becoming a Choosing Wisely Hospital” and aims to generate awareness of this initiative in the community for patients and physicians. The Choosing Wisely at Island Health Patient-Centred Public Awareness Campaign Working Group will consist of a representative from the Island Health Choosing Wisely Oversight Committee, 3-4 patient partners and 3-4 Island Health physicians. We have a large stakeholder group including Island Health Communications, the Oversight Committee, and the Patient Advisory Council.

We are specifically choosing to highlight low-risk recommendations to mitigate any risks associated with bringing awareness to unnecessary tests and treatments. Socialization of the recommendations with Medical Staff Associations, Divisions of Family Practice, the Patient Advisory Council, and Island Health Communications will help us identify any additional risks associated with chosen recommendations. This work is directly related to Community Care (GPs, Walk-in-Clinics) and may involve Emergency Departments, Lab, and Radiology depending on the recommendations selected. Information on Island Health’s involvement with Choosing Wisely Canada can be found here: https://medicalstaff.islandhealth.ca/choosing-wisely-canada An additional attachment is provided with a draft summary of the proposed work.

CW Patient Centred Public Awareness Campaign Summary PVN

Health Care Partner Contact Information

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