Patient experience case studies : Emma's story : a woman's wait for hip surgery

While the research provided a wealth of information that will be used by the Ministry of Health and the health care system to guide system planning, the Province was interested in doing a more detailed analysis on some of the key issues within the system in order to validate what was heard in the research. [...] Long wait times for elective surgeries; A lack of communication on an estimated date for the procedure; A lack of care for patients while they are on the wait list; Rude or uncaring staff; A lack of involvement of the patient in the range of options to help alleviate their condition; and Poor connections among providers in the system -- for example, among family physicians and speciali [...] This was in reference to the actual procedure, the follow-up care they received in hospital and the transition to home and follow-up care. [...] After the determination that Emma wasn’t able to adequately cope with the pain, she could have been engaged in a discussion on a range of options to help her manage her pain including the option to see a specialist and the risks involved, providing her with adequate education to help her make an informed choice. [...] Leading practice also employs the use of centralized assessment, and assignment of the first available surgeon that can meet the needs of the patient, or providing patients with the option to take the first available surgeon.