toh

Dr. Michael Fung-Kee-Fung, Head of Surgical Oncology, introduced formal Communities of Practice to The Ottawa Hospital. “We’re breaking down silos by having CoPs that are interdisciplinary – it’s not just surgeons working with other surgeons,” he said.

Diagnostic and treatment wait times for cancer patients are down. Surgical oncology wait times are now some of the shortest in Ontario. And The Ottawa Hospital now ranks among Ontario’s top three cancer centres for patient satisfaction, prompting Cancer Care Ontario to commend the hospital as the most improved.

How did the Cancer Program pull off such a stunning transformation?

In part by adopting a model of knowledge sharing known as Communities of Practice (CoPs) – the same model that’s used in Hollywood and Silicon Valley.

Just like Hollywood, cancer staff and clinicians are
working together across subspecialties.

The early efforts of interdisciplinary CoP teams – in breast, lung, colorectal and urology cancer subspecialties – have transformed how patients experience their care in the region, while providing better quality and access.

CoPs are groups of people with diverse yet specialized skills who come together for a common purpose. More social club than office meeting, CoPs rely on people to participate voluntarily, often outside office hours. Everyone who joins a CoP is united by a desire to turn ideas into innovations.

In Hollywood, Disney animators and visual-effects specialists behind Star Wars were among the first to launch CoPs and push the boundaries of their craft. In Silicon Valley, CoPs drove advances in computer circuits that led to smart phones. But CoPs are new to health care; the Ottawa CoP Model is unique among Ontario hospitals because it includes managers and clinicians, and follows a specific process.

Just like Hollywood, cancer staff and clinicians are working together across subspecialties.

“We’re breaking down silos by having CoPs that are interdisciplinary – it’s not just surgeons working with other surgeons,” said Dr. Michael Fung-Kee-Fung, Head of Surgical Oncology, who introduced formal CoPs to the hospital and developed the Ottawa CoP Model.

CoPs channel people’s passion for their craft into practice-changing improvements that create value for organizations, health-care providers and patients.

“It’s about developing their professional practice. It’s about bringing together the frontlines and engaging them to craft solutions. It’s about tapping into people’s passion for making the things they care about work better. It’s about creating innovation.”

Participants meet as equals, not as individuals defined by rank. Everyone’s ideas carry equal weight. At TOH, oncology CoPs identify gaps, weaknesses and inefficiencies in care delivery. Specialists with different skill sets work together because the most interesting solutions often lie at the crossroads of disciplines.

“The clinicians have started developing relationships with clinical managers in a safe space,” said Dr. Fung-Kee-Fung. “When they go back to their real work lives, yes, they may face the same problems, but the change in that relationship that occurs in this parallel universe of CoPs allows for a different interaction to take place. These networks inspire a collaborative culture.”

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