Re-imagining health care with patients at the centre
Creating a patient-centric health-care model requires a shift in how we value the contribution of every health professional, including medical laboratory technologists, radiological technologists, respiratory therapists and personal support workers. supplied
The coronavirus pandemic has brought Canada’s health system to the brink, deepening cracks and highlighting issues that have long been evident.
“We’re losing health-care professionals, who are changing roles or no longer want to work in the field. This fifth wave [of the pandemic] has knocked the stuffing out of everybody,” says Dr. Joy Richards, who sees the crisis as a chance to pivot – and move towards a future where “the patient and the family are at the centre, and where all health professions work together to provide the best possible care.”
To help tackle one of the most significant challenges of our time – the transformation of health care – Dr. Richards is taking on the role as executive lead at the Michener Institute of Education at University Health Network (UHN).
“By reaching across professional boundaries and re-imagining the kind of system we want for ourselves and our loved ones – and where we want to work – we can envision a future with patient care at the centre. ”
As an education institute devoted exclusively to health care and health sciences and the only school in Canada that’s part of a hospital network, Michener is “beautifully positioned to be a catalyst for driving change,” says Dr. Richards. “Traditionally, there has been much emphasis on medicine and nursing. Yet there are many different professionals caring for us throughout our health-care journey, and Michener educates and supports a number of them.”
For example, medical laboratory technologists perform lab tests, radiological technologists perform medical imaging and respiratory therapists care for critically ill patients. Michener’s broad educational offerings – and close connection to clinical partners – present possibilities to go “beyond the rigid boundaries around professional scopes and leverage some of these quiet gems in the system,” says Dr. Richards. “It’s exciting to look across a number of professions and ask, ‘How can we enable them to work to their full scope of practice? Where are the spaces where new roles can emerge?‘”
Feedback from patients shows they value “soft skills and high-touch care professionals,” she explains. “They may want someone to sit with them, help them communicate with family members or assist in daily activities.”
In a patient-centric model, such skills will be in high demand, believes Dr. Richards. “Personal support workers, for example, are the unsung heroes of health care. This highly skilled but unregulated group could be supported to update their skills towards roles as registered professionals. Career laddering opportunities could enable people to move into other areas of health care when there’s a need.”
Enhanced career pathways would benefit patients, the health-care system and the professionals themselves, she adds. “By reaching across professional boundaries and re-imagining the kind of system we want for ourselves and our loved ones – and where we want to work – we can envision a future with patient care at the centre.”
To view this report on The Globe's website, visit globeandmail.com
To view the full report as it appeared in The Globe's print edition: Colleges and Institutes