TRIAGE ASSESSMENT AND ACUTE INJURY/FRACTURE CLINIC
Improving Access to Non-Surgical and Surgical Care for Musculoskeletal Concerns
At Access Orthopaedics we are committed to improving the wait times for musculoskeletal care in the public healthcare system. We serve as a central triage for a number of the shoulder and elbow surgeons in the Calgary zone and have a spine assessment program, both of which allow us to assist patients with non-operative management sooner. For those patients requiring surgical consultation, we can ensure they are directed to the best-suited provider for their condition or injury with the necessary diagnostic tests in order to minimize treatment delays.
All assessments with our triage team are covered with a valid Alberta Health Care card.
Timely Access to Care
Expert Multidisciplinary Team
Comprehensive Treatment Plan
Our team are available for in person, virtual and phone consultations to provide timely access to safe and effective care.
What to expect on the first visit
Our services are accessible with a referral from a health care provider with a valid practitioner ID, which includes physicians, physiotherapists and chiropractors. Imaging is not required prior to a referral.
Our team will contact you once a referral is received to book an appointment. Appointments are available with our team in person at our central location on Macleod Trail just south of the Stampede grounds, virtually through our consultation platform or by phone.
Registration paperwork will be sent by email to complete prior to the appointment or can be completed on arrival to the clinic. You will be asked for the following information:
- Any Current or Past Medical Conditions
- Surgeries (Past or Pending)
- Current Medications and Medication Allergies
If you have had imaging completed privately or out of Alberta, please forward the reports to our office prior to your visit.
All assessments with our multidisciplinary team are covered with a valid Alberta Health Care card. However, there may be treatments that are discussed with the patient that are not covered by Alberta Health.
During the initial visit, patients will be assessed by our multidisciplinary team. Our physiotherapists will first ask questions about your injury/condition and your past medical history as well as completing a physical examination. They will then confer with the physician who will review your previous imaging and diagnostic tests for your musculoskeletal condition or injury. The physician will personally see or speak with the patient during the first visit after reviewing their medical history, diagnostic tests and results of the physiotherapist’s physical examination.
Please wear comfortable clothes to allow our team to clearly examine the injured area. For shoulders, this would involve a tank top for women and for all lower leg areas please bring shorts.
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Our multidisciplinary team will discuss your diagnosis and will work with you to develop a customized care plan that will best suit your needs. Your treatment plan may include:
- Diagnostic Imaging and Tests
- Physiotherapy
- Injections / Pain Management
- Surgical Referral, if deemed a surgical candidate
- Referral to another Specialty, as applicable
We will arrange for follow up appointments with our team to monitor your progress with the recommended treatment plan.
A period of non-operative treatment focusing on an active exercise program may be recommended and in many cases can help patients recover without surgery. Our in-house physiotherapists have in depth knowledge of a wide range of conditions to provide patients with evidence based and quality care. We have collaborated with a number of providers across Alberta with a similar mindset to ensure patients receive quality and effective care.
DIAGNOSTIC IMAGING
Our experts can help determine what treatment options are best for patients and when further investigations are needed to guide this. We have diagnostic imaging services available on site for convenient and timely access.
PAIN MANAGEMENT
Our team is committed to helping alleviate patient’s pain so that they can focus on their active rehabilitation program, get better sleep and get back to their activities. We have a physiatrist on staff who can assist with pain management as well as offering a comprehensive range of pain management options, including injections and Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) in our on site interventional suite.
SURGICAL REFERRAL
For patients who could benefit from surgical intervention, we can ensure they are directed to the best suited provider for their condition in a timely fashion.
Dr. Ian Lo runs his practice at Access Orthopaedics and we collaborate with our affiliated surgeons to provide coordinated care for patients requiring surgical care.
Frequently Asked Questions
Before your first visit, please browse these commonly asked questions
During your initial visit, you will be assessed by a multidisciplinary team, including a physiotherapist or physician.Â
The physician will review your history, notes from your physical examination, tests you have performed, and previous treatments you have undergone. The physician will personally see you during your first visit, following an assessment by the physiotherapist.Â
After your evaluation, our team will create a treatment plan for you. This plan may include further tests to aid in the diagnosis of your condition. You will have an opportunity to ask questions.
Wait times vary and depend on the type of surgery and the surgeon you see in consultation.
Wait times are variable. The treatment team will assess you before you see the surgeon. This assessment provides the team with adequate information that allows the surgeon to triage your referral.
Should you and the treatment team decide that a surgical opinion is appropriate for treating your condition, then a referral to a Calgary-based surgeon will be made.Â
Our surgeons include:
- Dr. Aaron Bois
- Dr. Richard Boorman
- Dr. Gurpreet Dhaliwal
- Dr. Kevin Hildebrand
- Dr. Justin Leblanc
- Dr. Ian Lo
- Dr. Marlis Sabo
- Dr. James Stewart
- Dr. Neil White
You will have an opportunity to discuss your referral with the treatment team and be referred to the surgeon of your choosing or the first available surgeon based on wait times.
Our team has compiled a list of physiotherapists throughout Calgary and Alberta, who we are confident will provide you with an active evidence-based program. Many of these therapists are providing virtual care options. We provide this list at your initial appointment, but please contact us if you require further assistance.
Results of physiotherapy can vary, depending on where you received your treatment and who provided the therapy.Â
Appropriate therapy is an exercise-based program generally done as a supervised home program with infrequent visits with your physiotherapist.Â
You will be taught the exercises and then encouraged to do them on your own every day. You will be asked to follow-up with your physiotherapist to assess your progress, generally not more than once a week, and often once every two to three weeks.
In many cases, we will ask you to return for reassessment by the treatment team. This follow-up often occurs within 3 months of your initial visit.Â
In this follow-up appointment, the treatment team will assess your response to the treatment and go over the results of any previously ordered tests.Â
This follow-up appointment might occur by phone, virtual consultation, or in person. The type of meeting will depend on your situation and the preference of the team and yourself.
Our team will work with you to develop a treatment plan that best suits you and your condition. In almost all cases, this plan includes physiotherapy with a knowledgeable physiotherapist.Â
Your treatment plan may also include further diagnostic testing, such as an MRI or injections.Â
Should you and the treatment team decide that surgery may be appropriate, we will make a surgical referral.
There are many surgical and non-surgical treatment options that may be effective in managing your symptoms. Should you and the treatment team decide that surgery is the best choice for managing your symptoms, we will discuss the risks and benefits of surgery with you, and we will refer you to a surgeon in Calgary.
We accept referrals from all physicians, physiotherapists, and chiropractors with a valid practitioner ID. Please note we are not able to see patients with a WCB injury/claim.
A referral is not required to see one of our physiotherapists directly.
Please wear comfortable clothes that allow our treatment team to clearly see and examine your affected area. For women, this may be a sports bra or a sleeveless shirt, or shorts, depending on the area of the body.
We ask that you provide information about your injury or condition and general health. You should also prepare a list of any medical problems you may have, the surgeries you have had in the past, and a list of your medications and medication allergies.Â
If you have access to previous private or out of province imaging, please forward the reports to our office before your visit.Â
Most importantly, you should prepare a list of questions that you would like to ask during your first visit.
If you have difficulties and cannot connect via the video platform, our team will promptly contact you by phone.
When our team books your appointment, you will receive an email from our secure video conferencing platform (Medeo Virtual Healthcare). This email will include a link. You will click on the link to create an account using your email and a newly generated password. Write these login credentials down and keep them handy! Once you have logged in, this confirms your appointment.Â
If you don’t see an email from Medeo Virtual Healthcare, please check your junk/spam folder before contacting our office.
On the day of your appointment, you can go to www.medeohealth.com on your device (be sure to use the Google Chrome browser) and log in with your credentials. You can also use the Medeo Virtual Healthcare app to log in. Click on ‘Start Appointment’ and follow the prompts.Â
Be sure to start the login process 10 minutes before your appointment time. The program will place you in a virtual waiting room, and the team will enter the videoconference at the time of your appointment.
You will need a computer or device with a webcam and microphone with the Google Chrome browser installed. Alternatively, you can use a tablet or smartphone with the Medeo Virtual Healthcare application installed.
Access uses a secure video conferencing platform called Medeo Virtual Healthcare. This technology allows our team to assist with your injury or condition virtually.Â
During your virtual consultation, we will ask questions about your injury and condition and ask you to perform a few movements and tests that the team can observe.Â
The physician will review your prior imaging and discuss treatment recommendations with you, all from the safety of your own home.
Appointments with our triage team are covered with a valid Alberta Health or Provincial Health Care card.
There is a fee for physiotherapy appointments, but this may be covered in part or full by many extended health insurance plans.
