Distance consultation: concepts, components, and collaboration

The economic environment forcing health care practitioners to do more with less is a pressing challenge for the isolated northern therapists and for the NOP. Retention rates will improve in the short-term, but the pressures on the survivors of cutbacks will be enormous. The demands on NOP resources will likely be changed dramatically both in terms of quantity and quality. Strategic planning is now a key component of all tasks. Models are currently under discussion that would facilitate the delivery of this service province-wide, and channel more funding into northern Ontario for the support of a network of multidisciplinary coordinators who could provide on-site support for sole charge therapists. The program described in this article is unique to Ontario and it is unlikely that it could be instituted in its entirety in another location. Many of its components, such as the establishment of regional support networks for new therapists, teleconferencing, and other methods of providing continuing education, are important elements for northern practitioners and could be adapted to other locations facing similar challenges. Evaluation of these components is an ongoing process which will be addressed in future papers.