INSPIRED Program:
Scott’s Story
“Until you live a day in the shoes of someone
with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
(COPD), you can’t understand what it feels like to
not have breath” shares Scott Bailey. “So, when
they asked me to be a part of INSPIRED, as a
Patient Advisor, I said yes –for sure. If I can help
just one person, than I’ve done my job.”
The INSPIRED Program (Implementing a Novel
and Supportive Program of Individualized care for
patients and families with Respiratory Disease),
was introduced to Joseph Brant Hospital in 2015,
as part of a Nationwide Collaborative with the
Canadian Foundation for Healthcare Improvement
(CFHI). It teaches patients and families how to plan,
manage and live with symptoms of COPD.
The collaborative was a success, sustaining
positive patient outcomes including a reduction in
hospital readmissions and improvements in patient
satisfaction and confidence—prompting a secondary
collaborative that partnered current INSPIRED
providers with community-based health centers.
Joseph Brant Hospital was one of six INSPIRED
providers selected to take part nationwide.
In 2018, Joseph Brant Hospital introduced the
INSPIRED Program to three local Family Health Teams
(FHTs). Local COPD patients, like Scott, were trained
as Patient Advisors to provide insight and identify
opportunities based on their lived experiences.
Through collaboration with the CHFI, FHTs and
Patient Advisors, we addressed information gaps
to improve knowledge about how the disease
progresses, and how to manage the physical
symptoms and mental impacts. Thereby ensuring
patients receive the right care, in the right place at
the right time – improving access to supports that
prevent hospital readmissions.
Scott reflects, “INSPIRED offered me a new type
of program that was missing from my care – it’s
adaptable to meet the needs of all COPD patients.
You get information on what to expect, planning
for the future, what you can and can’t do and how
to share that with your family. You learn to know
your limitations and develop new strategies to
cope and reconstruct your life living with COPD.”
“INSPIRED offered me a new type of
program that was missing from my care
– it’s adaptable to meet the needs of all
COPD patients. You get information on
what to expect, planning for the future,
what you can and can’t do and how to
share that with your family. You learn
to know your limitations and develop
new strategies to cope and reconstruct
your life living with COPD.”
Although the secondary collaborative through
CFHI has finished, our work with local FHTs is
ongoing. Preliminary results are positive and
reflect those in 2015. We have shared our findings
with other hospitals interested in replicating this
collaborative program, and Scott has shared his
experience in INSPIRED at recent conferences.
There is hope to use the model to work with
other chronic conditions, like heart failure and
mental health.
Annual Report 2018-2019
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