A new lung clinic is set to open in Halifax by the end of November with the goal of addressing lengthy wait times for breathing tests and serving as a means to recruit respiratory therapists in Nova Scotia. The Nova Scotia Lung Wellness Clinic, which has been in development for over two years, was conceived as a response to increased wait times during the COVID-19 pandemic, where certain regions of the province experienced up to a four-year wait for a brief spirometry test.
Sanja Stanojevic, an associate professor at Dalhousie University’s department of community health and epidemiology, expressed concern over the prolonged wait times for essential breathing tests in the region, emphasizing the need for a more efficient solution. The clinic’s approach, spearheaded by Stanojevic and her team, involves involving respiratory therapy students from Dalhousie University in administering the tests under the supervision of a Nova Scotia Health preceptor, providing them with crucial on-the-job training while alleviating the backlog of patients awaiting testing.
Spirometry tests play a vital role in diagnosing pulmonary conditions like asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Stanojevic highlighted that without these tests, COPD cases are often misdiagnosed, leading to ineffective treatments and potential adverse effects for patients. The clinic, a collaborative effort between the Lung Association of N.S. and P.E.I., Nova Scotia Health, and the provincial Health Department, is financially supported by GSK Canada, a biopharmaceutical company, which granted $300,000 for an 18-month pilot program to test the clinic’s efficacy.
Catherine Gunn, the director of the school of health sciences at Dalhousie, emphasized the clinic’s dual benefits of reducing wait times for patients and addressing the shortage of respiratory therapists in the province. With 37 full-time vacancies for respiratory therapists at Nova Scotia Health, the clinic aims to provide training opportunities for students within the province, increasing the likelihood of retaining them post-graduation.
The clinic’s proactive outreach strategy includes contacting individuals on the lengthy waitlist, with plans to expand referrals from primary care providers and eventually allow self-referrals from patients without a designated provider. Gunn expressed enthusiasm for the innovative approach of the clinic, stressing its potential to make a significant impact on healthcare delivery in the region.