Lower-Limb Preservation (LLP) Strategy
The goal of the Lower-Limb Preservation (LLP) Strategy is to reduce avoidable, non-traumatic major lower-limb amputations in Ontario. This goal will be achieved with a focus on access to high-quality best-practice early screening and monitoring of at-risk individuals, and the provision of appropriate vascular lower-limb wound and diabetic foot care. The LLP Strategy seeks to ensure that this care is integrated and coordinated across community care, home care, specialty wound care, and acute care settings.
As described in previous newsletters, there are three workstreams (framework, measurement and reporting, and funding policy), that will each be developing critical products to bring the strategy to life. Throughout the fall, the focus of work has been the continued development of key components of the LLP framework, as well as early work towards the development and validation of patient cohort technical definitions for measurement and reporting.
Highlights of progress over the fall include:
- Development of a Pathway for Preventing and Managing Vascular Wounds has completed. The Pathway is the product of a tremendous collaboration with Wounds Canada, CorHealth Ontario, the Framework work stream (led by Dr. Christine Murphy), and the LLP Advisory Committee members. The Pathway for Preventing and Managing Vascular Wounds, together with the existing Wounds Canada Pathway for Preventing and Managing Diabetic Foot Complications will provide an excellent foundation for continued development of an Ontario Framework for Lower-Limb Preservation. We will be excited to share these products with our stakeholders in the coming months as this work progresses.
- Patient and Family Advisors with lived experience continue to be engaged in all aspects of this project. A Patient and Family Advisor workshop was held in October and provided insights about lived experiences with patient facing educational tools and resources, as well as observations about opportunities to include existing educational tools, resources into the strategy, and where there are existing information gaps.
The Advisory Committee met on Friday November 13, 2020. At this meeting, members endorsed the near final draft of the Pathway for Preventing and Managing Vascular Wounds and engaged in discussions about development and implementation of the Ontario Framework for Lower-Limb Preservation. The Advisory Committee will meet again in February 2021 to continue this important work.