May 23, 2007
New peer-support program offers comfort and confidence for bone and joint
patients
A new telephone-based, peer-support program offered by the Canadian
Orthopaedic Foundation has been launched to provide comfort and relieve some of
the anxiety of orthopaedic surgery patients.
The patient-focused program, called Ortho Connect, aims to increase a
patient's knowledge about and confidence in the treatment they will receive.
"Patients have repeatedly told us that they wish they had someone to talk
to," notes, Angelique Berg, executive director of the Canadian Orthopaedic
Foundation.
Demand for orthopaedic treatment is at an all-time high and continues to
rise. And, while governments are tackling the wait times issue, there are
still thousands of Canadians – including many with osteoporosis – living with
pain and restricted mobility as they wait for the surgery that will help them
resume their everyday lives.
"Most patients want to know what to expect following surgery," says Dr.
Maurice Bent, orthopaedic surgeon at North York General Hospital in Toronto.
"While I can assure them that they will not have any pain following their
recovery from surgery, I believe that hearing it from someone who has had the
same surgery is more meaningful."
Client feedback about the program has been positive with clients indicating
that their volunteer was helpful, understanding, and a good listener. "The
support received helped me to go into the operation with my eyes open," said one
client.
"Prior to my surgery I had a lot of questions," says Anne Elliott, an Ortho
Connect volunteer from Hamilton. "It would have been nice to have someone
to talk to regarding the operation and what to expect … to help ease my
mind. Sharing and working together to come up with solutions to issues you
run across are important aspects of getting through the wait time prior to
surgery and rehabilitation following surgery."
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