What is WINS? It means Wait-time Improvement for Nova Scotians. The Nova Scotia government signed agreements with the federal government to give the province $32 million to fund three initiatives to improve access to health services. Under these agreements, Nova Scotia was the first province to enact a guarantee on radiation therapy treatment wait times and agreed to start two pilot projects to tackle other important areas that affect wait-times. The Department of Health, Canada Health Infoway, and District health authorities are contributing an additional $10.5 million to help make these projects possible.
Canada's First Wait-time Guarantee
The wait-time guarantee: Radiation therapy
As the first province to commit to a Federal Wait Times Guarantee for Cancer Therapy, Nova Scotia has agreed to a definitive wait time for radiation therapy. By February 2010, not more than eight weeks will pass from the time the patient is deemed 'ready to treat' to 'start of treatment.' In the unlikely event that the guarantee cannot be met in Nova Scotia, we will arrange for the patient to receive treatment elsewhere.
More than $24-million in funding is being accessed to put the needed equipment, infrastructure, and processes in place to meet the radiation therapy guarantee. Patient care will be standardized, and radiation therapy similarly delivered in both cancer centres - in Halifax and Sydney. Wherever practical, the same systems, equipment, business processes and policies will be adopted.
The pilot projects
Improving access to diagnostic imaging services in Nova Scotia
To improve access to Diagnostic Imaging services, we need to know what is making patients wait longer and what is the best way to remove those hurdles.
This project will look at three ways we might be able to speed up access to Diagnostic Imaging services:
- New computer software can help family physicians decide what is the best test for the patient to have. This project will help determine if using that software, which incorporates evidence-based guidelines, is the right way to make improvements in DI ordering.
- To increase efficiency in the booking process by reducing missed appointments.
- To give patients information about wait times in other locations and give them the option of traveling to a different part of the province to shorten their wait for a DI test.
Improving Access to Surgical Services in Nova Scotia
To give Nova Scotians better access to surgical services, we are strengthening various aspects of the system and getting the patient more involved in their care decisions.
The Provincial Surgery Project will look at surgical services from a provincial approach using newly available timely and accurate provincial wait time information. This will assist District Health Authorities with managing their surgical resources. The provincial perspective is intended to improve access by having all Districts share the practices they have in place that are designed to provide timely and efficient surgical care.
The Project is comprised of two key components:
- Policy Support and Implementation, including:
- Creating a Surgical Care Network of surgery professionals to advise on the implementation of all components of the Project
- Testing the impact of giving patients (and the system) the option of alternative care. We want to determine how likely patients are willing to travel to another part of the province for health care if it is available in a shorter time frame
- New IT Systems will include:
- Streamlining processes to help speed up patient access
- Creation of a Patient Access Registry (PAR NS); a database of all surgery that needs to be performed and has been completed. This will help patients waiting for surgery in NS by giving us more accurate wait-time information for Districts and the Department of Health to use for managing and allocating resources.
- Adding an Operating Room Management System in DHAs where such a system is not currently in place. This will automate surgery scheduling and allow District Health Authorities to manage their surgery departments more efficiently for the maximum benefit of patients.
How is WINS progressing?
Radiation Therapy: Cancer centres in Cape Breton (CBCC) and Halifax (NSCC) are preparing for the clinical use of new, state-of-the-art CT simulators and treatment planning systems (February 2009.)
Diagnostic Imaging: The pilot project has begun implementation and will be complete in March 2010.
Provincial Surgery Project: Phase 2 Implementation activities are under way with significant process and technology design work ahead. A staged implementation to be complete in July 2010.