DI RE C T I O N S CAN ADA
READY FOR LAUNCH? Written by: DARRELL MULLEN, RRTS®
THE LAND AREA OF CANADA IS SLIGHTLY LARGER THAN THE UNITED STATES, WITH APPROXIMATELY 10% OF THE POPULATION AND A POPULATION DENSITY OF 9.6 INDIVIDUALS PER SQUARE MILE – ONE OF THE LOWEST IN THE WORLD.(1) ALTHOUGH OVER 80% OF THE POPULATION LIVES WITHIN 93 MILES OF THE CANADIAN-AMERICAN BOARDER(1) — THERE IS STILL A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF TRAVEL INVOLVED TO REACH RURAL CLIENTS. IN THIS CANADIAN DIRECTIONS ARTICLE, DARRELL MULLEN, A RECENT CANADIAN NRRTS REGISTRANT, DESCRIBES WORKING WITH THESE CLIENTS. Sometimes getting ready to travel out of town to provide service to clients can seem like preparing a mission to space. The delivery of service to clients in remote locations presents several challenges beyond those faced in metro areas. Some of these include travel time, weather variation and the need to have everything on-hand that might be required to complete the task. Suppliers in large metro areas also may face lengthy travel times due to traffic but may not face the weather variations along the route that those in rural areas do. Suppliers often find themselves traveling several hours and hundreds of kilometres to reach their client. Rural clients are often spread out geographically, so it is hard to be efficient, this makes cost of service proportionately higher. Upon arrival in the area, cellular service might be unavailable, nor will there be a hardware store nearby to grab that forgotten 10mm wrench. Many of these challenges can be addressed by maximizing planning, preparation and communication with the client and clinical team. Suppliers traveling to remote areas are often dealing with a clinicbased therapist advising remotely to a local therapist who works with the supplier on site. Teams may also include, caregivers, manufacturer reps, social workers, translators, respiratory therapists and the list goes on. Although these large teams can be necessary, they significantly increase the complexity of coordination required. For a variety of reasons, clients are often not able to travel to city centers where they could access services in a clinic, so the service needs to be brought to them. Regardless of the purpose of the remote visit, whether it be a grab bar install, a flat tire repair or the dispense of a fully loaded powerchair with custom seating, the following key elements always apply and need to be considered to ensure a successful mission.
MANY OF THESE CHALLENGES CAN BE ADDRESSED BY MAXIMIZING PLANNING, PREPARATION AND COMMUNICATION WITH THE CLIENT AND CLINICAL TEAM. 48
DIRECTIONS 2021.2
COMMUNICATION Prior to launch, it is vital to communicate with the therapists involved whether they will be attending the appointment and to be clear on roles/responsibilities of each team member. It is also critically important to have well-established goals and a reasonable strategy as to how those goals might be achieved. Having access to pictures regarding the issues to be addressed and advanced video calls can be extremely helpful at this stage. Fortunately, technology is constantly improving, making remote communication and information sharing easier by the day.
PLANNING Now that the goals have been established with the client/therapist and communicated amongst the team, a plan needs to be established. Perhaps funding approval is required? Does a specific product need to be ordered? Do several pieces of assessment equipment need to be gathered? Are updates required for the power equipment being trialed? Does the schedule allow for travel time and a much-needed lunch break? Are overnight accommodations required and need to be booked in advance? Planning the day around all the variables of travel time, the client’s schedule, caregiver access, the clinician’s schedule, etc. is often very challenging. Even if all of this scheduling for the initial appointment is possible, it may not be worth doing if you cannot schedule a follow up within an appropriate time.
PREPARATION It is important to ensure the vehicle (spaceship) to be used is adequate to take everything required and the proper maintenance has been done. Often overlooked but important is having proper PPE, first aid and safety equipment including auto safety kit.
