Pubdate: Fri, 30 May 2003
Source: Kelowna Capital News (CN BC)
Copyright: 2003, West Partners Publishing Ltd.
Contact:  http://www.kelownacapnews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1294
Author: John McDonald

ADDICTION: IHA WANTS OUTCOME-BASED PROGRAMS

Addiction service providers in the Okanagan Health Service Area have begun 
regular meetings with addictions program manager Pat Townsley, with an eye 
toward next April's contract review.

"This is just a regular part of the process," said Townsley.

"It's really an opportunity for service providers to come together and talk 
about things and identify key issues."

The Interior Health Authority has an annual budget of $10 million for 
addiction services including $3.4 million for the Okanagan Health Services 
Area which encompasses Kelowna.

When Townsley was hired last January, she promised a review of all existing 
contracts and a move toward outcome-based best practices, a point which was 
brought up at the first meeting on May 9.

"Funding uncertainty was raised by some of the contractors," Townsley said.

"The purpose of the planning meetings is to bring together all the key 
players to look at what we need and to see how they fit in. You have to 
know what you have before you can know what you need."

For best practice and outcomes information, Townsley said she is relying on 
a series of documents put out by Health Canada.

"We're certainly looking to outcomes-based contracting but that's something 
that will come.The outcomes will be spelled out quite a bit better than 
they have in the past."

Townsley said that move will be helped by the introduction within the 
Interior Health Authority toward a shared patient file system.

"That technology is going to help us a lot. In fairness, it is difficult to 
track outcomes. Addicts are a transient population. We'll be getting better 
at tracking their movement through the health care system."

Townsley said the whole addictions field in B.C. will benefit from the move 
to the new technology. "We're getting much more sophisticated in monitoring 
the service we provide."
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom