Mobility
The ACPAC (Advanced Clinician Practitioner in Arthritis Care) Program
Program Description
Detailed Program Description (347 KB pdf file)
The ACPAC (Advanced Clinician Practitioner in Arthritis Care) Program is an innovative, interprofessional academic and clinical-education training program in advanced musculoskeletal/arthritis care currently offered to experienced physical and occupational therapists. The program is hosted by St. Michael’s Hospital, in collaboration with The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Ontario, Canada .
The ACPAC program was developed in response to the well-recognized need for an inter-professional patient-centred collaborative approach to better manage patients presenting with osteoarthritis (OA) as well as in the early detection of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) by improving access to (shortened wait times) and efficiency of care.
The ACPAC program provides the mechanism for training extended role practitioners to assume vital roles of triage, education and in select cases, management of patients with osteoarthritis and inflammatory arthritis.
Program Goal
The goal of the ACPAC program is to provide a comprehensive, advanced educational experience in rheumatology/orthopedics for physiotherapists and occupational therapists, and to translate new knowledge into practice and thus provide the human resources need to develop new models of arthritis care.
Course Format
This 10-month academic and clinical training program focuses in arthritis care (the orthopedic and rheumatology fields) and consists of modular based (n=5 modules) material delivered in episodic format over ten (10) one-week sessions offered between September and June. The ACPAC program is a clinical and academic training program distinguished by its rigorous and extensive evaluation of both the trainees and the program, as well as its graduates as they practice in extended arthritis care roles across diverse clinical settings in Ontario .
Candidates/Trainees
There are currently 30 ACPAC program-trained practitioners in Ontario . The graduates have received a CE certificate from the University of Toronto based on their successful completion of the academic and clinical components of the program. There are currently 7 trainees enrolled in the 2010-2011 program.
Program Impact
The impact of this program is evident by the many invited presentations- locally, nationally and internationally. In 2007, the ACPAC program was awarded the prestigious Colin Woolf Award for Excellence in Course Development from the Department of Continuing Medical Education at the University of Toronto . In 2008, the ACPAC program was recognized for its excellence in the design and delivery of a formal, post-licensure healthcare education training program in Ontario (Ted Freedman Award). In 2009, the ACPAC program was the recipient of an Ontario Ministry of Health: Innovations in Human Health Resources Award.
Over the past five years, there has been extensive growth in collaboration with multiple academic and community-based institutions resulting in further academic engagement (there are presently over 90 faculty members involved in the delivery of program).
Program Testimonials (589 KB pdf file)
Health Policy /Improvement Practices Initiatives
The ACPAC program has been invited to participate in the following Ontario Ministry of Health Initiatives:
- HealthCare Improvement Practice Registry
- Celebrating Innovations in Health Care Expo
Program Funding
The ACPAC program will be completing its fifth year of operation in June 2011 and is supported generously by the Ontario Ministry of Health, St. Michael’s Hospital and its Foundation, Amgen/Wyeth, Abbott, Pfizer, and tuition fees. The ACPAC program is endorsed by the Arthritis Society- Ontario Branch and the Canadian Rheumatology Association.
Application to Program
ATTENTION: The program will not be offered for the 2011-2012 Academic year. The program is currently in revision and an alternate year program delivery is being considered. We are currently involved in an extensive (two-year) System Level Evaluation which is expected to be completed by late Fall 2011.
The program description for 2010-2011 is found in the program synopsis. Please read carefully the criteria for admission to program. Prospective trainees must have completed the Polyarthritis Training Course offered by the Arthritis Society. Interested applicants are invited to contact the program coordinator at k.lundon@cogeco.ca for further information or vasconceloso@smh.ca for a program brochure.
page last updated: March 8, 2011
