Is GLA:D™ Canada Right for you?

Getting Started with GLA:D™ Canada

Interested in offering the GLA:D™ Canada program at your clinic or organization? Here’s what you need to know before you begin.

1) Clientele

Is there a need for this program at your organization/clinic? Do the individual you serve experience symptoms of knee or hip osteoarthritis? Will your clientele be able to access and benefit from this program?

Refer to ‘How to participate in GLA:D‘ for more details regarding clientele who may not be eligible to participate in the program.

2) Staff (Clinicians)

To deliver the GLA:D™ Canada program, clinicians must complete a 1.5-day training course to become certified GLA:D™ Canada instructors. We recommend that each site have multiple trained staff to ensure program continuity and coverage if a staff member is unavailable.

GLA:D clinician training is appropriate for the following health and exercise professionals who have comprehensive knowledge of exercise prescription and who treat individuals with osteoarthritis or those who are high risk for developing osteoarthritis. Course participants must be eligible to practice in Canada.

  • Registered Physiotherapists
  • Registered Chiropractors
  • Kinesiologists
    • In Ontario, registration must be with the College of Kinesiology of Ontario
    • In other provinces, individuals must be registered with their professional association
  • Clinical Exercise Physiologists certified by the Canadian Society of Exercise Physiology (CSEP-CEP)

Health professionals from other disciplines are not currently eligible to register for the training course.

3) Resources

The GLA:D™ Canada program is group-based, requiring clinicians to have adequate space and equipment in order to deliver the program in-person.

In-Person Program Requirements:

Education Sessions (2 to 3 sessions)

  • Space: Seating for all patients
  • Equipment: Laptop/computer, projector, screen or blank wall for PowerPoint presentations

Supervised Exercise Sessions (12 sessions over 6-weeks)

  • Space: 14m uninterrupted walkway
  • Equipment: Exercise balls, steps, therabands of varying resistance, chairs, stop watch, pylons, mats
  • Optional: cycle ergometer, sliders or plastic bags (for carpeted floors)

The GLA:D™ Canada program can also be delivered virtually via telehealth.

4) Clinic and Clinician Registration

GLA:D™ Canada is a clinical program with a quality monitoring component. Clinicians interested in implementing the GLA:D™ Canada program at a site must:

  • Obtain ethics approval
  • Sign a data sharing contract
  • Pay an implementation administration fee of $360
  • Be registered in the national database/registry

Learn More

Have Questions?

For more information, please reach out to our team at gladcanada@uhn.ca

Patients who have gone through the GLA:D™ Canada program are invited to share their feedback with this short form.

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