Hosting a training session
Bone and Joint Canada and the Canadian Orthopaedic Foundation have secured the license for the GLA:D program in Canada from the researchers Dr. Ewa Roos and Soren Thorsgaard Skou from Denmark. The program within Canada is known as GLA:DCanada. The agreement requires that GLA:DCanada retains the same standards for all components of the program as are used in Denmark, including the training of clinical staff across the country and the measurement of performance through a registry.
Role of BJC/COF
BJC and COF are therefore responsible for ensuring that the core trainers who will be training the clinical staff across the country have the necessary education with the Danish researchers to feel competent to provide the training as well as the up to date standardized educational materials.
Core trainers need to have a comprehensive knowledge of OA research, be involved with research in some capacity, have experience in teaching through a university as well as have the experience of providing exercises to individuals who have disability related to musculoskeletal problems. BJC/COF will identify the appropriate individuals per province however where there are no such individuals in a province researchers from other provinces will be used.
Contracts will be set up with core trainers which outline the terms and conditions of the role including obligations to maintain the GLA:DCanada standards of training and payment for hosting the 2 day session.
Hosting a training session
All training sessions need to be approved by the GLA:DCanada project staff in conjunction with the core trainers from the province.
For the successful hosting of a GLA:DCanada training session the core trainer will require:
Numbers of individuals that can be trained
The training has been designed to include a lecture format as well as an interactive education session that includes the demonstration of the exercises.
Lecture session: There is no minimum to the numbers of individuals that can receive the lecture information. This will be based on the experience and comfort of the core trainer who has an experience in research and teaching.
Interactive exercise session: The exercises are demonstrated on the morning of day 2 of the training. The participants are expected to complete the exercises at each station with opportunity to discuss the different components of the exercises as well as problem solve different clinical scenarios. As such a ratio of 1 experienced clinical trainer to 10 participants is required. Additional clinicians who are familiar with the program are therefore required for this session only and will be paid to participate.
GLA:DCanada staff
GLA:DCanada project staff will be available to assist the core trainers in planning their sessions. The amount of assistance will be dependent on the funding within the region/province. For examples in Ontario there is funding secured to implement the program in a set number of sites within the province and as such staff will be available on a permanent basis. As funding becomes available in other provinces this will determine the number of courses and amount of time available.