Opportunity/Gap:
This activity will focus on the need to improve utilization of current LTC capacity by building a collaborative team of healthcare works, operations directors at VCH, and healthcare data analysts and operations researchers. In collaboration with VCH, a team of undergraduate students at SFU developed a proof-of-concept optimization model for reducing declinations in the Operations Research Clinic Course in the Department of Mathematics. The opportunity is ripe to build on this work to improve the LTC placement process at VCH. The lessons learned will be of value in the LTC system province wide.
Format:
One in-person workshop at VCH (2 hours) with client and care provider partners to map the client and family experience with placement process.
One in-person workshop at VCH (2 hours) with LTC staff and managers to understand the review process for LTC facilities. Sub-contracted LTC facilities (not just own-and-operated) will be represented.
One in-person planning workshop at VCH (3 hours) with LTC operations directors, VCH health data specialists, and SFU researchers to develop a research and data integration plan for full-scale project. SFU trainees (under faculty supervision) will synthesize the information from the first two workshops to inform the research plan. Analysts from VCH Data & Analytics will participate to provide expert advice on available operational and EMR data.
Participants: clients and caregivers (12-16); LTC managers (4); operations directors (2); VCH business analysts (1); trainees in healthcare data analysis and modelling (2); researchers in healthcare operations (2)
EDI considerations: To support accessibility, pre-event meetings with client partners and family members will be offered to prepare them for the workshops. Workshops are designed for small groups to support open discussion. Printed and other facilitation material will be designed for accessibility and cultural sensitivity.
Anticipated outcomes:
1. An initial qualitative map of the client placement process developed with client partners, providers, and managers.
2. Strengthened relationships between SFU researchers, client partners, and VCH directors and key staff in LTC to support an ongoing program of collaboration.
3. Research for plan for utilizing VCH operational data to develop an optimization model to improve LTC placements.
Additional team members and participating organizations:
Jessica Stockdale (SFU Co-lead for the VCH/SFU Embedded Research Program)
Krisztina Vasarhelyi (VCH Senior Learning Health System Lead)
Mina Moeini (SFU PhD Student)
Weiyi Liu (SFU MSc Student)