Innovation & collaboration yields improved care for knee patients

A new multi-disciplinary approach to knee injuries, which Forté Health is involved in, is making it easier – and cheaper – for patients to fully recover.

The new approach sees Cantabrians with knee injuries able to access physiotherapy and vocational rehabilitation at no cost following ACL surgery, thanks to a partnership between ACC, private surgical hospitals, rehabilitation providers and surgeons across Canterbury and some of the South Island.

Forté Health General Manager Rachel Hillyer says the new approach - known as the escalated care pathway – is a game changer.

“Put simply it’s resulting in better outcomes for patients, allowing them to get back to full health – and their work and other activities – faster, and preventing the risk of re-injury,” says Rachel.

The new approach sees the providers bundle up services an individual patient requires and those services – from surgery to physiotherapy or occupational therapy – are then provided in a streamlined way, with no cost to the patient.   This means that patients can complete a full rehabilitation program following knee surgery.

“In the past the system could be very fragmented.  Throughout the process patients would have to make co-payments, services didn’t necessarily talk to each other and patients could more easily drop off the radar – meaning they didn’t get the desired outcome. 

“Through this new approach we have removed those barriers to healthcare, supporting the patients the entire way through their journey and ensuring they get the right care at the right time,” says Rachel.

The escalated care pathway is funded by ACC by way of a fixed price per patient, with the partnership group using that to enable the fully-funded, inter-disciplinary approach to treatment. 

Anyone wanting more information on the programme should speak to their GP or physiotherapist for further information.