Posted by Sudbury Northern Life 
The Sudbury Regional Hospital (HRSRH) Critical Care Program continues improve the care of cardiac patients with two ongoing initiatives - TelASK and the Cardiac Care website.
TelASK was launched in September 2008 as part of a discharge program for patients who have gone through open heart and/or valve replacement. The program automatically contacts the patients by telephone on day three and day 10 post discharge.
The Interactive Voice Response (IVR) technology asks a preset list of questions to screen for post-operative problems or complications. If a response suggests a problem, patients are connected with a Critical Care Quality nurse for further followup.
To date, 50 per cent of post-surgical patients have called for further educational information. According to critical care quality nurse Claire Gignac, the program is now using the questions asked to modify and fine-tune discharge teaching.
The initiative has also prevented complications and averted Emergency Department visits by allowing the nurse to direct patients with less urgent issues to family doctors or walk-in clinics.
The HRSRH's Cardiac Care website continues to address the informational needs of cardiac patients, and educate others on how they can prevent cardiac disease from becoming a problem for them.
Conceived as a communication resource to help span the geography for residents of northeastern Ontario, Gignac explained the site - which allows patients to ask questions directly to medical professionals - has caught on across Ontario, and received questions from as far away as Canada's east coast.
Gignac and Chef Brad LeBoldus will make a presentation on Heart Healthy Cooking Feb. 26 from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. at the Real Canadian Superstore. LeBoldus will prepare a tasty and healthy dish for each meal of the day, while Gignac will be on hand to answer audience questions. T
he session costs $30 and registration is required three days in advance of the class by calling 560-4961.
The Cardiac Care site can be found at www.hrsrh.on.ca under Programs/Services. Gignac said she hopes to add a "recipe" section, which will include heart-healthy and cardiac-wise guidelines.
"Everybody benefits if we can teach means to prevent illness from happening in the first place, effectively manage the illness if it does happen, and help avoid re-admission and assist recovery and adoption of a healthier lifestyle for those that we've already helped," Gignac said.
