August 3, 2011 – A local program spearheaded by the Champlain LHIN to improve care for people with chronic diseases has been so successful it is being rolled out across Ontario.

The Living Healthy Champlain program helps patients and their families manage the symptoms and lifestyle changes associated with chronic medical conditions, including arthritis, diabetes, heart disease and asthma. Since 2010, the local program has received $450,000 from the Champlain LHIN.

The Champlain LHIN also played a key coordination role. The LHIN worked with partners that delivered interactive seminars helping people with chronic conditions cope with daily challenges. Roughly 800 individuals have taken part in intensive six-week self-management workshops held across the region.

What’s more, Living Healthy Champlain has trained more than 70 volunteer leaders to conduct the workshops, which include topics such as appropriate use of medications and effective communication with health professionals. A preliminary evaluation of the program found that participants were much more able to handle fatigue and emotional distress after attending the workshops.
In addition, LHIN funding has gone toward training hundreds of doctors and nurses so they can more effectively treat and manage patients with these complex illnesses. Patients with diabetes, for example, need ongoing assistance in setting and achieving lifestyle goals related to diet and physical activity.

Now, based on the experience of Living Healthy Champlain, the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care has approved funding for chronic disease self-management programs in all 14 LHINs across the province. It’s an example of how a cutting-edge initiative implemented in one LHIN can expand to other areas of the province, thus benefitting a considerable number of people with the same needs.

“The Champlain LHIN brought providers and communities together to develop an innovative solution to a local health-care challenge. The number of people with chronic conditions is increasing as the population ages, so it was important to make this a priority,” said Alex Munter, CEO of the Champlain LHIN. “By helping people help themselves, we can improve their quality of life, and at the same time, relieve some of the pressures on the health system.”

Providing support for chronic-disease self-management helps not only patients, but the health system as a whole. The excess average health-care cost for a person with diabetes in the first year of diagnosis, for example, is almost $3,000. Therefore, expanding self-management resources can be a cost-effective strategy.

Implementation and evaluation of the program is being led by Bruyére Continuing Care, Élisabeth Bruyère Research Institute, the Champlain Community Care Access Centre along with more than 30 other health-care organizations. The partners are continuing the evaluation to determine all the advantages of the program, including its impact on the number of visits to family physicians and emergency rooms.

For more information on this program, please go to the bilingual website: livinghealthychamplain.ca. If you are with a media organization and would like an interview, please contact: Linda Ramsey, at the Champlain LHIN (613.747.3212 linda.ramsey@lhins.on.ca).