Why Rapid Access Clinics Matter to You
Rapid Access Clinics or.RACs for low back pain are designed to support not replace a chiropractor's care. They provide patients, who qualify for the program with a timely consultation on their low back condition and related symptoms to support their self-management. In this episode, we speak with Dr. Henry Candelaria, who has been involved in Ontario's RACs since 2012. Tune in to hear Dr. Candelaria discuss why RACs matter to you, your patients, and our health ecosystem. He outlines the rewards, challenges, and what to expect from the RAC for low back pain (RAC-LBP)'s clinical roles for chiropractors. He also explains how you can advocate for your patients who may benefit from the RAC-LBP and use a new tool to help facilitate their referral.
Topics Covered:
- Purpose of the Rapid Access Clinics (RACs)
- Dr. Candelaria's involvement with the RACs
- Types of RACs
- Design of RACs and role of hospitals
- Difference between RACs for Low Back Pain and others
- Patient referral process
- Primary care provider engagement and registration requirements
- How to facilitate patient referrals to a RAC-LBP
- RAC-LBP patient outcomes
- Chiropractors' skills and RAC-LBP requirements
- Chiropractor roles in the RAC-LBP program
- RAC-LBP chiropractors' feedback
- Growing pains or challenges working in a RAC-LBP
- Chiropractors' experience and insights from RAC-LBP work
Key Links to References/Resources Discussed:
- Why RACs Matter to Chiropractors (includes PCP form for facilitating referrals)
- Rapid Access Clinics for Low Back Pain
- Get Involved in OCA-Sponsored Programs
- Access Appropriate Low Back Pain Care (public/patients' page)
About Dr. Henry Candelaria:
Dr. Candelaria is a Practice Lead at Trillium Health Partners, Mississauga Halton Rapid Access Clinic for Low Back Pain and also a practising chiropractor in Oakville, Ontario.
Dr. Candelaria holds a Bachelor of Physical Health and Education from the University of Toronto. He graduated Magna Cum Laude from the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College (CMCC) in 2007. During his time there, he was heavily influenced by a number of leaders and trailblazers in the chiropractic profession who placed an emphasis on functional movement analysis and evidence-based manual therapy and rehabilitation. Most importantly, the process of establishing an accurate diagnosis was instilled in him during his time at CMCC and is something he has carried with him since graduation and throughout his career.
Since graduation in 2007, he sought out non-traditional interprofessional chiropractic opportunities in the health care system. He has since worked in various capacities in four different greater Toronto area hospitals, as well as a family health team and a community physiatry practice both in his current hometown of Oakville, Ontario. These experiences have provided opportunities to engage and collaborate with a variety of musculoskeletal-related medical specialties, including neurology, physiatry, orthopaedics, neurosurgery, rheumatology, and sports medicine.
He has also benefited from working with some of the best in the manual therapy and rehabilitation fields, ranging from osteopaths, physiotherapists, massage therapists, athletic therapists, chiropractors, strength and conditioning coaches, personal trainers, functional movement experts, and pilates and yoga practitioners."