Page 29 - UHN Year In Review 2014-15: Patients As Partners In Care

Highlights

Nephrology – Helping dialysis patients achieve independence
UHN is a global leader in providing home dialysis for patients. The health-care providers in the nephrology program
partner with patients to educate them on how to administer their dialysis at home. This enables patients to be more
independent and helps to create more capacity in-hospital to treat those with complex needs. As a result of the
success of the home dialysis program, the Nephrology program launched EXPLORE, an education initiative, which
allows international visiting scholars to emulate our model of care.

Psychiatry – Three-minute treatments for depression
Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) is a new way of treating patients with treatment-resistant
depression using powerful, focused magnetic field pulses to reactivate areas of the brain. The UHN rTMS clinic, in
collaboration with the Centre for Addictions and Mental Health, conducted new research showing that the same
beneficial effects can be achieved with a different kind of rTMS technique that is just three minutes long versus
traditional 38-minute sessions.

Dr. Jonathan Downar, neuroscientist and psychiatrist at Toronto Western Hospital is a leader in the field of repetitive
transcranial magnetic stimulation, a treatment that uses magnetic field pulses to activate parts of the brain for
patients with depression. (Photo: UHN)

Improved care for patients with ‘sickle cell crisis’
Emergency nurses, physicians and social workers are streamlining and improving the care for patients who present
to the Emergency Department with a “sickle cell crisis.” Patients require emergency care when their condition
causes reduced blood flow throughout their body, resulting in severe pain. Increased communication with a patient
in a sickle cell crisis as well as proper implementation of the sickle cell protocol is the key to improving care.

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