First Step of my Masters Journey
- kelseyphelan3
- Aug 1, 2022
- 5 min read
Before starting this course I was nervous and I wasn’t sure what to expect. I put that aside because I was excited to learn and grow my skill set. Working on my masters will be my biggest academic challenge to date. I looked forward to testing myself and exploring things from a new point of view. This course has been a great overview of what health is and the foundations of the healthcare system. I have found it difficult at times to find where I fit in. Medical imaging is very specific. That led me to shift my focus. I used that shift to focus on topics I am interested in such as: patient centered care, eldercare, and the health of Islanders. It has been interesting seeing things from other professional perspectives and meeting new people. This blog will describe the journey I have taken throughout this course.
In the first unit we were invited to introduce ourselves and meet all the other professionals we will be working with for the term. We started by reflecting on our professional identity, values, and interpersonal dialogue. I am a proud medical radiation technologist (MRT) working in medical resonance imaging in Prince Edward Island. My employer is Health PEI and I am regulated by my association and college. I have been an advocate for MRT’s since early on in my career, by being an active member of our provincial association Prince Edward Island association of Medical Radiation Technologists( PEIAMRT). This association was recently dissolved and we became part of the Canadian Association of Medical Radiation Technologists - Atlantic (CAMRT-ATL). The maritime provinces came together to form one association CAMRT-ATL to join resources and create a bigger community, therefore giving us a stronger voice. We recently became part of the College of Allied Health Professionals of Prince Edward Island (CAHPPEI). The college regulates MRTs to protect the public. Our discussions on social media use really opened my eyes to the fact that I use social media for professional use much more than I realized. I am always mindful about anything I post or share and limit my settings so that I am private on my personal social media accounts. This unit taught me it is important to have a professional social media presence for interprofessional dialogue and networking.
One of the most important skills I have learned throughout this course is curation of resources. Curation is not something I do in my current healthcare role but I hope to move into a role where this will be a very useful skill. It was interesting comparing resources and seeing a variety of sources from different professions. I came to rely heavily on my own health authority Health PEI and CADTH. I used Google Docs to save all of my resources. It allows me to group them by unit to keep them organized and I can share with others if I choose. You can find my curated content on the resource tab on my blog.
Next, we learned about the Federal and Provincial Health systems in Canada. What our roles are within these systems. Health care is partially funded by the federal government but each province has a health budget. Medical imaging depends heavily on this funding. I wrote a blog post about proper use of our resources so we reallocate that money to other areas of health. The Canada’s Drugs and Health Technology Agency performed an inventory of Canada’s medical imaging equipment to help the government plan for future needs and costs (CADTH, 2021). This led us to the determinants of health. As a Canadian cisgendered caucasian female who grew up as middle class I was aware there were determinants. I didn’t take into account how big of an impact it truly has on people’s health. In my blog I wrote about social determinants of health for Islanders. Our universal health care system is not equal for everyone.
For the next unit we looked at multilevel health models. We discussed many different health models. There were a good variety of models and viewpoints. I chose to write a blog post about ‘A new model of care for PEI’(Health PEI,2009). The framework for that future vision of care has 4 main levels that center on the patient's care. The 4 levels are: people, processes, information and technology (graphic below). One of the key parts is ensuring that the care is patient and family centered care. Patients have more positive outcomes when family support is available which leads to shorter hospital stays and lower health care costs. If we focus on caring for individuals' mental, social, and physical health we can prevent more costly issues in the future.
(Health PEI, 2018)
The following unit we focused on vulnerable populations. The elderly population is one of the fastest growing vulnerable populations in Canada. Another vulnerable group is the Indigenous people. Both groups are vulnerable due to health determinants such as: low income, social status, education, and the list goes on. I chose to curate resources on Indigenous access to MRI because my current position is an MRI technologist. We play a crucial role in diagnosis and treatment. I wanted to look at the determinants that are working against our vulnerable populations. The biggest issue is access to specialized imaging. Many Indigenous communities in Canada are rural and patients have to be transported by chartered flight to receive adequate care. Dr Omar Islam a researcher at Queen’s University is working on using portable MRI machines in some of these areas (Klassen,2022). This could be life changing for many Canadians.
(Government of Canada, 2021)
In the final unit we discussed the future of health. Many of us chose some form of virtual health. I think that is a reflection of the direction Covid took us. Suddenly, we weren’t just online shopping for convenience, our whole lives were online. If Covid taught us anything it’s that life can change very quickly and we are much more adaptable than we think. That is one reason why I chose to focus on Telehealth. Another reason is that PEI has a shortage of primary care providers. This seems to be a theme across much of Canada which is why I chose resources on this topic for future health. Telehealth allows people increased access to PCPs that redirects them away from walk-in clinics and the emergency room. Inturn this frees up more spaces at walk-in clinics and emergency rooms for the people that really need to be there. My issue with Telehealth is how do we ensure equal care for everyone.
This course has taught me a great deal about the foundations in health. I have learned to see things from a different perspective and that health is not easy to define. The forums have been insightful and I looked forward to reading what everyone posted each week. I have learned new skills that I will build on as I continue on my journey through the Masters of Health Studies Program. I am already using what I learned to alter my approach in my current role as technologist. I finish this course with my mind opened to all the complexities of the healthcare system and look forward to making a positive change.
References
CADTH.(2021,November 23). The Canadian Medical Imaging Inventory 2019-2020.https://www.cadth.ca/canadian-medical-imaging-inventory-2019-2020#Factors-that-inform-decisionmaking-about-replacing-upgrading-and-adding-new-imaging-equipment
Government of Canada.(2021,Feb 16). Action for Seniors Report. https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/programs/seniors-action-report.html
Health PEI. (2018). Patient and Family Centered Care Newsletter.
Klassen,V. (2022, January 14). Narrowing the gap in health care access. Queen’s Gazette.https://research-groups.usask.ca/remote-presence/documents/access-to-ultrasound-imaging-a-qualitative-study-in-two-northern-remote-indigenous-communities-in-canada.pdf
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