In line with a Te Whatu Ora directive, Te Whatu Ora Waikato orthopaedic department is implementing a physiotherapy-led orthopaedic pathway within orthopaedic service models to triage hip and knee referral and to provide a non-surgical intervention pathway.
From 14 August, in an effort to improve outcomes, when a patient is referred via BPAC for hip and or knee arthroplasty/osteoarthritis, their first specialist appointment (FSA) may be with a physiotherapist. The physiotherapist will assess the patient and determine the best treatment pathway for them.
In other districts and internationally, this model of care has been well established and has demonstrated numerous benefits, including safety, cost effectiveness, high diagnostic agreement, and positive impact on wait times for specialist care. The implementation of these service models will result in symptomatic benefit for patients, potentially delaying or amending the need for surgery.
Following the triage and assessment, patients who have the agreed red flags will be queued directly to the Orthopaedic Surgical Pathway.
Patients who meet the criteria for non-surgical intervention or who require pre-surgical optimisation will be offered at least one of the following options.
The Orthopaedic Triaging Physiotherapy team will closely monitor patients after interventions, tracking outcome data to inform further decision-making. Based on post-intervention outcomes, patients may be discharged back to the GP, referred for further non-surgical intervention, or referred to the Orthopaedic Surgical Pathway.
Please note that, at this stage, there will be no change to the existing BPAC referral requirements. Recent imaging, laboratory results, and the PROMs questionnaire will still need to be included. This information will support the comprehensive assessment and triage process conducted by othe orthopaedic physiotherapist.
It's expected these changes will significantly contribute to improving the efficiency, effectiveness, and overall patient experience for patients requiring hip and knee arthroplasty. Your cooperation and support in implementing this new process is greatly appreciated.
Te Whatu Ora Taranaki has developed new pathway on BPAC called the Taranaki Orthopaedic Triage service (TOTs). This will now be made permanent with an extended capacity covering shoulder pathologies.
Read moreThe ACC high tech imaging (HTI) pathway supports GPs to make direct referrals for high tech imaging (namely MRIs).
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