Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Specialized University of Alberta arthritis clinic set to close

EDMONTON - A specialized clinic treating about 1,000 arthritis patients at the University of Alberta Hospital will be closed shortly as a cost-saving measure by Alberta Health Services.

Patients will be able to get the physiotherapy they need at other clinics in the community, said AHS spokesman Kerry Williamson. AHS will ensure that they all have proper care before the clinic is closed, he added.

It?s unclear how much will be saved by the closure, but under tight finances, ?that is the reality we face,? said Williams.

But experts connected to the clinic say the closure will result in a loss of expertise in the unique team approach developed over many years at the clinic, and that patient care could suffer.

?We?re disappointed within the rheumatology community,? said Dr. Joanne Homik, director for rheumatology at the U of A medical school.

?This clinic has done some great teamwork and developed the expertise that is unique to our patient community.?

Physical and occupational therapists worked with doctors and pharmacists to treat symptoms and educate patients on how to manage inflammatory arthritis, a chronic disease.

While there are a lot of good physiotherapists in the region, the question is whether they will use the different approach required for successful treatment of arthritis patients, said Homik. He added that the U of A clinic takes a ?total-body approach,? as opposed to treating a single injury.

Homik said she?s still looking at other options to keep some of the team work alive, especially the patient education aspects that help people manage their disease.

?It may be possible to transfer some of the programs to another centre, such as the Glenrose,? she said.

?I really hope we can find a way to keep some of this together. We are being given time to explore some options.?

About nine people ? some part time ? will be laid off, but they will all be offered jobs within the health-care system, said Williams.

?We are confident there won?t be any job losses.?

AHS did hear concerns about the loss of expertise from the arthritis community, said Williamson. But treatment options are available in the community so there is no need to keep the specialized clinic in operation.

The move seems a step backward, said Bernadette Martin, a U of A professor who oversees curriculum for physiotherapy students.

The clinic is a leader in developing ways to help patients manage their chronic disease and in modelling the team approach to medicine that is so successful with chronic disease, she said.

?They?ve been a high-functioning team ? they offered education and self-management for those with chronic disease,? said Martin.

?How much was this care keeping people out of emergency wards, that?s the question,?

It was also a great place to send student interns to learn best practices, she added.

spratt@edmontonjournal.com

Source: http://www.edmontonjournal.com/news/edmonton/Specialized+University+Alberta+arthritis+clinic+close/8728468/story.html

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