Grant: Canada Postdoctoral Research Award (CPRA) program

The emergency department (ED) was designed for emergencies-not for patients who lack primary care options and have nowhere else to turn when in pain. Up to 60% of Canadians reported that they visited the ED because they did not know where else to go for health care. As 1 in 5 Canadians do not have a regular family physician, or cannot access appropriate primary care services, many Canadians with common joint and muscle (musculoskeletal, MSK) conditions like low back pain and osteoarthritis seek care at the ED. This is already contributing to the access crisis in Canadian EDs. The gap I am addressing in my project is how best to manage these common but non-urgent conditions, which are contributing to choke points in ED care. I will co-design and implement a Musculoskeletal Comprehensive and Response in Emergency Departments (MSK CARE) pathway in British Columbia with health system partners (patients and clinicians). The MSK CARE pathway will serve as an alternative way to get high-quality MSK care to more people; the MSK CARE clinic is the physical infrastructure that will deliver the care. The aim of my project is to evaluate whether the MSK CARE pathway can reduce ED waiting times for people with non-urgent MSK conditions. To achieve this, I will (1) co-create the MSK CARE pathway with patients, clinicians and administrators from the Fraser Health Authority in British Columbia, (2) evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of the MSK CARE pathway. I will share results through research publications, webinars, community discussions, and infographics. My project will contribute to solving the problem of overcrowding in the ED by introducing a new, alternate pathway that can provide timely care for MSK conditions. My project engages the interdisciplinary health team so that patients with these common problems (joint pain, arthritis) get the right care from the right people at the right time.