Grant: Operating Grant: SPOR iCT Rewarding Success - Travel Awards - Alberta

Alberta's population continues to age with an increasing burden of chronic illnesses. These patients are often frail with multimorbidity and their care is characterized by high rates of hospitalization and aggressive use of treatments with limited benefit and potential harm, both in acute care and outpatient settings. Patients' care often does not reflect their preferences; their health outcomes and quality of life (QOL) are often poor; and the health system costs are unsustainable. This project will adapt, implement and evaluate an innovative Supportive Care Pathway for Albertans with advanced organ failure and metastatic cancer, who are unlikely to benefit from curative or life-prolonging treatments, in community-based settings across Alberta to improve patient outcomes while providing better value for money. This initiative focuses on the right care, in the right place, at the right time, and by the right health team. It aligns patient' and provincial operational priorities to address: 1) wellness at every age and 2) sustainable, innovative health service delivery. The Supportive Care Pathway aims to enhance community-based care across Alberta, including rural, remote and indigenous communities. Interactive patient-informed care plans will facilitate collaborative practice and enable effective team-based care using state of the art information technology. The patient portal will enhance health information management by providing interactive decision aids and education materials to support Albertans in managing their own health. This work will operationalize innovative care creating sustainable transformation across Alberta for frail patients with advanced organ failure and cancer who are unlikely to benefit from aggressive treatments, will set a benchmark for national and international jurisdictions, and anticipates a rapid and large return on investment.