Long-Term Ventilation Project
Transitioning LTV Clients from Hospital to Home an RT Model of Care
Respiratory Therapists (RTs) are highly skilled and competent health care professionals who have extensive training and experience in caring for clients requiring mechanical ventilation and airway management. RTs provide this service in hospitals throughout Ontario. RTs with the same competencies also work in the community with a role that primarily involves the care of clients who require oxygen therapy.
Clients who require Long-Term Ventilation (LTV) but are otherwise medically stable, often remain in a hospital setting due to inadequate support in the community.
With a goal to address this identified gap in community support, the College of Respiratory Therapists of Ontario (CRTO) applied for and received a grant from HealthForceOntario’s Optimizing Use of Health Providers’ Competencies Fund.
With this funding resource, the project team embarked on an 18-month project aimed at demonstrating that the utilization of RT services in the community would allow many of these clients to safely transition into, and remain in their homes. The project ran from October 2008 until March 2010.