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Alberta cardiac patients to get quicker care with aid of navigators

Last Updated: Wednesday, July 23, 2008 | 4:25 PM ET

CBC News

Heart patients in Alberta will get the health care they need more quickly with the aid of patient navigators who will guide them through the system, the province announced Wednesday.

Health and Wellness Minister Ron Liepert said 11 navigators, who are nurses, will help ensure heart patients get all the care they need in a more timely fashion.

Using patient navigators will cut down on patients wasting valuable resources because they aren't managed properly, Liepert said at an Edmonton news conference.

"Too often patients are forced to do repeat performances, if I might use that phrase, whether it is having to go back to the doctor on more than one occasion, or have repetitive tests because they see several different doctors and specialists. What this does is streamline it," Liepert said.

"Our new patient navigators play a key role by helping patients obtain the right services at the right time, and closer to home. In fact, patient navigators will be an integral part of our new health delivery system."

The navigators are being tried in cardiac care first, the minister said, but will be expanded to other areas of the health-care system such as mental health.

They will help co-ordinate the patient’s services, serve as a liaison with other health-care providers, provide referrals, and offer advocacy and ongoing support.

Recruiting, training and establishing the province-wide cardiac patient navigator network is the work of the Alberta Cardiac Care Access Collaborative, begun in 2007 with two-year funding of $11.8 million provided by the Alberta government.

Cardiovascular disease kills more Canadians than any other disease. Every seven minutes, someone in Canada dies from heart disease or stroke.

Also, eight in 10 Canadians have at least one risk factor for heart disease, including smoking, alcohol, physical inactivity, obesity, high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, or diabetes.

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