Re: Differences between US & Canada?

[Guest guest]

Our quest started with our peditrician, who is my son,s regular Dr. anyway. I noticed the "bulge" on my baby's forehead at 2.5 months and had him in the office that day. She also noticed it right away. She referred us to Hanger, which is in our town, and we had an appt within 1 week. She also referred us to a PT to assess for tort and that took 3 weeks. Essentially he could of had his band in 3 weeks from the time the plagio was initially diagnosed.

From: kieransmom11 <melissa.e.hillie@...>Plagiocephaly Sent: Thu, July 29, 2010 6:59:41 AMSubject: Differences between US & Canada?

Can anyone tell me how the whole process of getting a band works in the US (or anywhere else in the world)? It seems so different than it is here!We get referred from our family doctor to a pedi (most pedis in Canada aren't GPs) and from the pedi we get referred to a Children's Hospital (for us it's Sick Kids in Toronto). Then we meet with an orthotist who does an assessment and tells us what they recommend and how to proceed.If you decide to go ahead with it they do a mold and custom make their own orthotics. We don't get 3d scans or measurements (although I think they may have started this with newer kids), just digital pictures from a regular camera to compare to a photocopied picture of the mold. It seems so archaic LOLIt seems like elsewhere is all high tech and have super cool looking bands....ours look like hockey helmets.I'm really interested in how it works elsewhere

:)http://fixin-a-flat.blogspot.com

[Guest guest]

Hi

I believe the US controls who can provide cranial reshaping services so that

will have a dramatic effect on who is involved from manufactures to clinical

personnel.

Computers and laser scanners don't always indicate a more sophisticated method

of treatment for cranial deformities. They are only as accurate as the

experience of the clinician operating them and the same can be said for a pair

of simpler calipers. Generally facilities that use this equipment and dispense

Doc Bands and Star Bands also take advantage of the central fabrication

facilities that are associated with the scanning systems. It is far more

important that the same clinician takes all the measurements throughout the

treatment to reduce the risk of measurement error between clinicians.

In Canada 95% of the facilities providing this service are staffed by certified

orthotists and the helmet is usually produced in house just like any other

orthoses we would assess a person for. In some cases where there is a higher

demand for services a facility may elect to use a scanner for measurements only

but still continue to fabricate their own devices. Last time we checked a Star

Band scanner would cost a typical facility $55 K just for the scanning system

alone and this cost would end up being passed along to the families receiving

treatment.

As far as measurements go this is critical information that I pass along to the

parents at every follow up visit. Nothing motivates compliance in a parent more

then being told how much their child has improved between follow up visits.

Our facility stopped using plastic shelled helmets 5 years ago. We use a

laminating process now that results in a lighter stronger shell and the process

allows the parents to select a colored or patterned fabric material which

becomes an integral part of the outside shell to provide the decoration that so

many parents are interested in having and no they don't look like hockey

helmets.

Take care

Mike Hall

Certified Orthotist

Hamilton Health Sciences

Hamilton Ontario

Canada

>

> Our quest started with our peditrician, who is my son,s regular Dr. anyway. 

I

> noticed the " bulge " on my baby's forehead at 2.5 months and had him in the

> office that day.  She also noticed it right away.  She referred us to

Hanger,

> which is in our town, and we had an appt within 1 week.  She also referred us

to

> a PT to assess for tort and that took 3 weeks.  Essentially he could of had

his

> band in 3 weeks from the time the plagio was initially diagnosed. 

>

>

>

>

>

> ________________________________

> From: kieransmom11 <melissa.e.hillie@...>

> Plagiocephaly

> Sent: Thu, July 29, 2010 6:59:41 AM

> Subject: Differences between US & Canada?

>

>  

> Can anyone tell me how the whole process of getting a band works in the US (or

> anywhere else in the world)? It seems so different than it is here!

>

> We get referred from our family doctor to a pedi (most pedis in Canada aren't

> GPs) and from the pedi we get referred to a Children's Hospital (for us it's

> Sick Kids in Toronto). Then we meet with an orthotist who does an assessment

and

> tells us what they recommend and how to proceed.

>

> If you decide to go ahead with it they do a mold and custom make their own

> orthotics. We don't get 3d scans or measurements (although I think they may

have

> started this with newer kids), just digital pictures from a regular camera to

> compare to a photocopied picture of the mold. It seems so archaic LOL

>

> It seems like elsewhere is all high tech and have super cool looking

> bands....ours look like hockey helmets.

>

> I'm really interested in how it works elsewhere

>

>

> http://fixin-a-flat.blogspot.com

>