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  • Bits & Pieces: IHP session leads, back to school advice, OTF youth grant & more

    Bits & Pieces: IHP session leads, back to school advice, OTF youth grant & more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In This Issue  
    • We need IHP session leads
    • Back to school advice from a Markham FHT physician and a teacher
    • Reminder- 211 Ontario webinar Thursday, August 20- register now
    • Members’ stories
    • OTF Youth Opportunities Fund grant opportunity
    • Updated testing guidance and more
    • Registration open for Project ECHO Ontario Bariatric Network (OBN) Fall series
    • Ontario Health services to enhance medical capacity in Long-Term Care and Retirement Homes
    • Upcoming events including governing through COVID-19 and more

    We need IHP session leads

    Planning is on track for the AFHTO 2020 Conference and this includes the sessions for interprofessional healthcare providers! There will be a virtual group session on Wednesday, October 7, from 12:30 to 1:15 p.m., and it will be followed by the IHP break-out sessions from 1:30 to 2:30.

    We’re looking for volunteers to lead the popular break-out sessions by coordinating topics, presenters, and a moderator.

    Leads are needed for the following professions: health promoter, nurse practitioner, physiotherapist, psychologist, nurses, administrative staff and physician assistants.

    These one-hour sessions between peers need a lead to happen. If you’re interested, please contact Beth MacKinnon today. The lead will receive a $20 discount on their conference fee.

    helping your family prepare for return to school

     

    Back to school advice from a Markham FHT physician and a teacher

    Markham FHT ‘s Dr. Dana Abenstein and her husband Darren Abenstein, a teacher, created a resource to help families prepare their kids to return to school during the pandemic. We shared this on social media last week and it reached over 5800 on Facebook.

     

     

    Reminder- 211 Ontario webinar Thursday, August 20- register now

    211 Ontario: Connecting Patients to Community Programs and Services webinar shows how 211 can assist primary care teams. It will provide some baseline information about 211’s Accredited enquiry service and Standards driven resource database of benefit to patients when trying to access services in the community – particularly services during COVID-19, such as mental health services, food and other basic needs. Register here.

    Two Essex County NPLC staff show some of the devices to be used in the lending program

     

    Members’ stories

    Essex County NPLC: receives COVID-19 Emergency Support for Community Organizations grant to improve access to technology and enhanced digital services

    Georgina NPLC: Georgina NPLC’s COVID-19 testing drive-thru tests over 130 residents as negative

     

     

     

    Ontario Trillium Foundation’s Youth Opportunities Fund grant opportunity

    Ontario Trillium Foundation’s Youth Opportunities Fund has announced the deadlines for grant streams that aim to support projects improving the wellbeing of children, youth, and families facing systemic barriers. AFHTO members, especially Indigenous teams, and partners may be eligible for the System Innovations Stream.

    • Grant Amount: Up to $250,000 per year
    • Grant Term: 2 to 6 years
    • Organization Registration Deadline: September 16, 2020
    • Grant Application Deadline: October 14, 2020

    Find out more here.

    Updated testing guidance and more

    Several updates have been released within the last week including:

    We continue to update several pages on our site with resources and news:

    Project ECHO Ontario Bariatric Network

     

    Registration open for Project ECHO Ontario Bariatric Network (OBN) Fall series

    Update your knowledge of post-bariatric care and the management of patients living with obesity by joining other primary care providers and a multi-disciplinary team of specialist from the Bariatric Centres of Excellence. For more information and to register visit their site.

     

     

    Ontario Health services to enhance medical capacity in Long-Term Care and Retirement Homes

    For anyone who also works in either long-term care or retirement homes, Ontario Health provides:
    1. LTC & RH Consult Line:   

    • For primary care physicians, nurse practitioners and medical directors in LTC and RH
    • Provides 24/7 access to general internal medicine specialists via a telephone consult line for urgent medical issues
    • The PCP/NP/Medical Director can call 1-8338-2HELPU to reach a specialist on-call  
    • For general inquiries or questions about this service email:  ltcrh.consult@wchospital.ca

    2.    VirtualCare App:   

    • For primary care physicians in LTC to remotely connect with clinical staff and residents
    • This service supports virtual video-enabled visits/medical assessments via laptop or tablet
    • Fully integrated with PointClickCare and MED e-care EHRs  
    • Watch a demo:  https://vimeo.com/415554798
    • Start onboarding today or let us know if you need further implementation assistance to complete your onboarding:   Contact info@ontariohealth.ca  or  call 1-877-302-1861

    These services continue to be available at no cost to homes and are accessible until October 31, 2020. Organizations with access to similar programs in their region (e.g. The LTC+ program in Toronto) are encouraged to continue to use those programs.

    Governing through COVID-19 and Beyond, August 25, 2020

    Webinar on governance at this time of   uncertainty and change. Topics include resumption of services; what governors  should know about Ontario Health Teams; and where we  can go from here to continue to strengthen organizational governance practices and prioritize board efforts. Register today!

    OTLCA Conference Call for Abstracts, August 21, 2020

    Submit your abstracts around the theme: Long Term Care 2020: Reimagining Change in Unprecedented Times being held virtually on October 26 and 27, 2020. Submit your abstract.

    Approaches to Health Care Consent, Advance Care Planning & Goals of Care Conversations, August 27- September 17, 2020

    Four-part webinar series from Hospice Palliative Care Ontario for front line workers, health care/service providers and first responders. Find out more and register here.

    COVID-19 and Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: Ethics, September 1, 2020

    Join this final webinar in this COVID-19 and IDD series hosted by the University of Toronto, Faculty of Medicine. They will address ethical questions and issues that have emerged in health care and support of people with IDD.
    Learn more here.

    Electronic Asthma Management System (eAMS) – tool demonstration, Sep. 15

    The Electronic Asthma Management System (eAMS) is an evidence-based clinical decision support system developed to improve your ability to deliver best care for patients with asthma. Find out more here.

    ECHO Care of the Elderly, September 9 – December 16, 2020

    ECHO Care of the elderly community is now live for registration. Be ready to discuss dementia, responsive behaviors, frailty, pain, polypharmacy, medical cannabis and more this fall.
    Learn more here.

  • Essex County NPLC receives COVID-19 grant to improve access to technology and enhanced digital services

    Essex County NPLC receives COVID-19 grant to improve access to technology and enhanced digital services

    The Essex County Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinic (ECNPLC) enhancing digital services to meet community needs.

    Essex County NPLC has received grant funding from the Canadian Red Cross, through the COVID-19 Emergency Support for Community Organizations Granting Program, to improve access to technology and enhanced digital services.

    Two Essex County NPLC staff show some of the devices to be used in the lending program

    The grant supports the Windsor Essex Health Program (WE Health). WE Health is a people first community-driven approach to addressing interruptions, reductions and the prevention of access and availability to primary and allied health services exacerbated by and resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.

    The electronic device lending system (iPhone and tablet lending) and the creation of updated digital content, will allow people to access the live virtual appointments, one-on-one and group programming (substance use, physical, emotional and mental support programming), and pre-recorded digital material providing health information and helpful technique demonstrations.

    Digital service access supports the goal of accommodating services to meet community needs, while maintaining measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The program also bridges gaps between primary and allied health care providers transforming roadblocks into pathways that reduce systemic oppression.

    The inclusive multidisciplinary framework promotes unity, emphasizes the importance of commitment, shared responsibly for recognizing and addressing community needs, and identifies the people first approach as essential to overall community health. The grant will help with the purchase of 36 tablets, data services for the tablets, the production and distribution of up-to-date health videos. Please contact Elaine Coventry, MSW and Health Promoter, at 519-730-0446 for more information.

  • Georgina NPLC’s COVID-19 testing drive-thru tests over 130 residents as negative

    Georgina Post article published August 5, 2020

    By Mike Anderson

    More than 130 residents tested negative for COVID-19 after the Georgina Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinic (GNPLC) launched a “pop-up” drive-thru testing site at the Georgina Sutton Arena Hall parking lot on July 29.

    According to GNPLC Clinical Director Beth Cowper-Fung, 133 tests were completed, including nine walk-ins, with no one testing positive for the virus.

    “All tests were negative. Some very happy folks will get to visit loved ones in other provinces or long-term care,” she said.

    While Ms. Cowper-Fung was hoping for a bigger turnout, with 400 swabs available for testing, she wasn’t sure they could have handled any more vehicles.

    “I was hoping to get more. But we were steady. And so even if we had 400 cars show up, I don’t know that we could have seen them all, and it would have been horrific to turn them away,” she said.

    “Those 133 people will now go out there into the community and say it doesn’t kill you. It’s not that bad. And so we may have more interest going forward.”

    While some residents were a little apprehensive about getting the test, they were grateful not to have to drive to Newmarket to get it done.

    More than a dozen vehicles lined-up for the start of the “no-appointment necessary” testing, which was offered from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

    The first car to enter the parking lot was driven by Joan from Jackson’s Point, who has Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and wanted to get tested for some peace of mind.

    “I do cough, and I just wanted to make double sure,” she said.

    “I think it’s a great idea because many people can’t get down to Newmarket or just don’t want to, because they’re afraid to go to the hospital where they might catch it.”

    That sentiment was echoed by Rachel, from Pefferlaw, who wanted to get a test because she hasn’t seen family members, including a sister who’s ill, in four months.

    “I think a lot of people have wanted something like this earlier. Because it’s too far to drive to Newmarket,” she said.

    Despite concerns that expanded community testing might lead to a spike in Georgina’s COVID numbers — currently six active cases with no new cases reported over the past seven days — several residents said that it’s necessary to curb the spread of the virus.

    “We’re doing a pretty good job. But with the beaches opening up, I’m concerned. It’s important to test because some people are carriers and don’t even know they have it,” Joan said.

    “I think testing is good. Because you’re not going to know who’s sick and who’s not, I think it’s for the best. We should know,” Rachel added.

    Rachel would like to see more drive-thru testing, as more people are coming from outside Georgina during the summer months.

    “A lot of them are acting foolishly and not obeying the laws.”

    Mayor Margaret Quirk also wants to see more community testing going forward.

    “If you’re asymptomatic and you’ve got the COVID virus, you need to know, and we as a community need to know,” she said.

    “At the very beginning of this pandemic, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) said that the key to bringing the pandemic under control is testing, testing, and more testing.”

    Mayor Quirk also emphasized that testing on this scale, couldn’t happen without the leadership of the Georgina NPLC.

    “They have health care professionals. They know what they’re doing. This didn’t just happen overnight. This took a lot of planning. We, as a Town, don’t have the ability to put a testing site in. So it’s great that the nurse practitioners have stepped up to do it.”

    While the event was a logistical challenge, requiring contributions from various health agencies, the Town of Georgina, local not-for-profits and businesses, Ms. Cowper-Fung is considering more drive-thru testing events in the coming months.

    But she would like to streamline the process.

    While she said that the actual swabbing was fast, there was a lot of time spent handling IDs and processing paperwork.

    She’d like to double the number of administrative staff and pre-book tests, allowing forms and labels to be printed beforehand.

    Still, she estimates it took just 16 minutes from start to finish, if the vehicle was six car lengths behind.

    Test results, which typically take from 36 to 72 hours, are posted online at https://covid-19.ontario.ca and require an OHIP card number to access.

    If residents do not have an OHIP card or cannot access a computer, the staff at the GNPLC will assist them.

    Read the full article here

  • Bits & Pieces: ED mentorship, $83 million in grants, IHP sessions & more

    Bits & Pieces: ED mentorship, $83 million in grants, IHP sessions & more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In This Issue  
    • Reminder- ED Mentorship Program
    • Ontario Trillium Foundation redirecting $83 million in grants
    • IHP session leads needed for AFHTO 2020 conference
    • Primary care patient/client virtual care experience survey
    • New Chief Executive Officer for Indigenous Primary Health Care Council
    • Reminder-COVID-19 ED interviews end soon
    • Updated COVID case definition, symptoms, guidance and more
    • Hospice Palliative Care Ontario tools mailed to teams
    • Invitation for primary care sites to collaborate on a research study on chronic low back pain
    • Upcoming events regarding 211 Ontario – connecting patients to community programs and services and more

     

    Reminder- ED Mentorship Program

    We are looking for EDs from different regions and working/funding models to join our ED Mentorship Program as mentors!
     
    Mentoring is about supporting people to develop their leadership skills. It’s a relationship based on trust that is designed to help a mentee take on increasing initiative, build confidence, and excel as leaders. New EDs can learn from others who have experience and who are willing to help them in developing their skills and expanding their knowledge.

    If you are interested in becoming a mentor, please complete this survey and we will be in touch. More information is here.

    Ontario Trillium Foundation redirecting $83 million in grants

    The Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) will be redirecting $83 million from its Capital and Grow granting streams to support Ontario nonprofits through the Resilient Communities Fund. This is to support rebuilding the capacity of eligible non-profit organizations that have been impacted by COVID-19. Relevant details include:

    • Two intake deadlines: September 2 and December 2, 2020
    • Grants are for one year, starting from $5,000 to $150,000

    AFHTO members and partners may be eligible to apply. Find out if you’re eligible here.

    IHP session leads needed for AFHTO 2020 conference

    Planning is on track for the AFHTO 2020 Conference and this includes the sessions for interprofessional healthcare providers! There will be a virtual group session on Wednesday, October 7, from 12:30 to 1:15 p.m., and it will be followed by the IHP break-out sessions from 1:30 to 2:30.

    We’re looking for volunteers to lead the popular break-out sessions by coordinating topics, presenters, and a moderator. Leads are needed for the following professions: dietitians, health promoters, nurse practitioners, occupational therapists, psychologists, nurses, respiratory therapists, social workers, administrative staff, physician assistants, and chiropodists.

    These one-hour sessions between peers need a lead to happen. If you’re interested, please contact Beth MacKinnon by Tuesday, August 18, 2020. The lead will receive a $20 discount on their conference fee.

    Primary Care Patient/Client Virtual Care Experience Survey

    Primary care patient/client virtual care experience survey

    The rapid adoption of virtual care during the pandemic not only addresses the current needs but it will most likely shape the future of primary care delivery, beyond the pandemic. As a result, we formed a working group with a number of patients, primary care, health system and health research organizations to create the Primary Care Patient/Client Virtual Care Experience Survey.

    This is to help fill informational gaps to inform future planning and further support the implementation of virtual care in primary care. Different tools, guides and templates are available to help. This is a public survey which non-members can use as well, so feel free to share with your peers. Visit our site to find out more.

     

    New Chief Executive Officer for Indigenous Primary Health Care Council

     

    New Chief Executive Officer for Indigenous Primary Health Care Council

    Congratulations to Caroline Lidstone-Jones who has been appointed as the inaugural Chief Executive Officer of the Indigenous Primary Health Care Council (IPHCC) effective September 1, 2020. Learn more here.

     

     

     

    Reminder: COVID-19 ED interviews end soon

    AFHTO, in partnership with the University of Toronto and Queen’s University, wants to understand the initiatives your team has taken on to continue to provide comprehensive primary care during this pandemic. Visit our site to fill out the Doodle poll to schedule your participation.

    Updated COVID case definition, symptoms, guidance and more

    Several documents have been updated and shared to the Ministry’s website as of Aug. 6 including:

    We continue to update several pages on our site with resources and news:

    Hospice Palliative Care Ontario tools mailed to teams

    Advance Care Planning, Goals of Care and health care decision making conversations are becoming more prevalent and more important than ever, with the aging population and COVID-19. Tools to help you and your patients have been mailed to your team either in March or July. You can use them in your waiting room and directly with your patients. Everything you, your patients and families need can also be found at SpeakUpOntario.ca   

    HPCO would like your feedback on whether you are getting more requests from patients to talk about health care decision making, if you found these resources useful, or if you’re looking to receive more resources. Please feel free to reach out to them at nav.dhillon@hpco.ca.

    Invitation for primary care sites to collaborate on a research study on chronic low back pain

    A PhD student at Queen’s University is looking for primary care sites to collaborate on his research on team-based primary care for the management of chronic low back pain. He is looking for them to participate in a virtual focus group (via Zoom) to understand their experiences. There is also the opportunity to assist with patient recruitment to participate in telephone interviews to understand their experiences with access. If you would like to learn more, please email Kyle at kyle.vader@queensu.ca and he can provide you with more information about how to get involved in this research.

    211 Ontario – connecting patients to community programs and services, August 20

    This webinar shows how 211 can assist primary care teams. It will provide some baseline information about 211’s Accredited enquiry service and Standards driven resource database of benefit to patients when trying to access services in the community – particularly services during COVID-19, such as mental health services, food and other basic needs. Register here.

    Governing through COVID-19 and Beyond, August 25, 2020

    Webinar on governance at this time of   uncertainty and change. Topics include resumption of services; what governors  should know about Ontario Health Teams; and where we  can go from here to continue to strengthen organizational governance practices and prioritize board efforts. Register today!

    The Lung Health Foundation Events

    Medicinal Cannabis – Treating Symptoms of Lung Cancer, August 17, 2020
    Learn more about the endocannabinoid system and apply to your practice. Find out more here.

    Medicinal Cannabis in Chronic Pain, August 24, 2020
    Enhance your knowledge by better understanding how to access medical cannabis. Learn more here.

    Child and Youth Mental Health Webinar Series for Primary Care Providers – Supporting Families With Screentime During COVID, August 19 & 26, 2020

    The CHEO is holding a 2-part webinar series that will cover on-demand topics around the use of technology by youth. Find out more here.

    ECHO Ontario Mental Health – Fall Programs, September 2020 – June 2021
    Join Project ECHO for any of their 6 mental health programs being offered this fall. Topics include addictions, DBT, Trans healthcare, OCD and IDD. View the offerings here.

    Electronic Asthma Management System (eAMS) – tool demonstration, Sep. 15

    The Electronic Asthma Management System (eAMS) is an evidence-based clinical decision support system developed to improve your ability to deliver best care for patients with asthma.

    The system can be used by any provider and is fully integrated with OSCAR EMR and Telus PS EMR. Find out more here.

  • QI in Action eBulletin #99: Capturing Primary Care’s Response to COVID-19

    QI in Action eBulletin #99: Capturing Primary Care’s Response to COVID-19

    In this Issue:

    • Primary Care Patient/Client Experience Virtual Care Survey
    • Responding to COVID-19: Understanding How Primary Care Teams Stepped up to Help Support Their Communities and Patients
    • IHP Experience During the Early Phase of COVID-19
    • Upcoming Virtual Events

    Primary Care Patient/Client Virtual Care Experience Survey

    Primary Care Patient/Client Virtual Care Experience Survey

     

    The rapid adoption of virtual care during the pandemic not only addresses the current needs but it will most likely shape the future of primary care delivery, beyond the pandemic.

    As a result, the Association of Family Health Teams of Ontario (AFHTO) formed a working group with a number of primary care, health system and health research organizations to measure the patient/client experience with virtual care during the COVID-19 pandemic. These organizations included: Quality Improvement in Primary Care Council (QI in PC Council), Women’s College Hospital Institute for Health System Solutions and Virtual Care (WIHV), eHealth Centre of Excellence (eCE), Ontario Health (Quality) (OH(Q)), and Partnering for Quality.

    We created the Primary Care Patient/Client Virtual Care Experience Survey to help fill informational gaps to inform future planning and further support the implementation of virtual care in primary care. This survey can also be used for quality improvement purposes to allow providers to look at ways to improve their care delivery.

    For online surveys, a template survey for Microsoft Forms has been created that can be duplicated. If you will be using SurveyMonkey, please email Sandeep.gill@afhto.ca and a copy of the survey will be shared with you.

    Ocean (CognisantMD) is offering a free platform to patient experience data; however, please refer to this guide  to ensure that you have completed all the steps to qualify. For your convenience, eCE has created an Ocean eForm version of the survey, now available to be imported to your Ocean (CognisantMD) site. Instructions on how to import and configure the survey and data extraction can be found here.

    We also highly recommend you report back to AFHTO to support AFHTO’s Provincial Initiative. To further support practices in expanding and solidifying virtual care in primary health at a provincial-level, AFHTO will be collecting the practice-level aggregate responses to the survey. Please click here to find more information.

    Responding to COVID-19: Understanding How Primary Care Teams Stepped up to Help Support Their Communities and Patients
    Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve heard countless stories of our teams’ commitment, diligence and initiative to continue providing team-based primary care around the province. We’re here to ensure that your hard work gets noticed – but to do so, we need your help.

    AFHTO in collaboration with Dr. Rachelle Ashcroft and Dr. Catherine Donnelly are conducting a research study to capture the efforts of all our members to ensure no story is left untold. This information will help influence and shape how teams will continue to adapt virtual care after the pandemic, as well as to meet patient needs.

    Interviews end August 14- don’t miss your chance to participate! Please sign up for a 30-minute interview to share your team’s story.

    IHP Experience During the Early Phase of COVID-19
    At the beginning of pandemic Dr. Catherine Donnelly and Dr. Rachelle Ashcroft created a survey to capture the interprofessional health provider (IHP) experience as the transition to virtual care began. The objective of the study was to describe the state of IHP practice within primary care teams during the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Some of the preliminary findings of the study were that 48% of IHPs felt that teamwork collaboration increased during the pandemic, 18% of IHPs felt that it remained the same whereas 34% felt it decreased.

    Most of the IHPs delivered care to patients via phone. Before the pandemic this was the most popular mechanism of virtual care delivery. As the pandemic progressed and teams explored creative ways to outreach to patients, teams started to explore social media. The preliminary findings of this survey are that IHPs are the least confident with patient care delivery via social media compared to other virtual care options and in-person care.

    As the pandemic evolves so does the expertise of providers with virtual care. Dr. Catherine Donnelly and Dr. Rachelle Ashcroft will release another survey to capture the IHP experience at multiple time points. Stay tuned for the next survey!

    Upcoming Virtual Events
    211 Ontario – Connecting Patients to Community Programs and Services Webinar
    Thursday August 20, 2020 – 12:00 – 1:00 pm EDT
    A webinar about how 211 can assist Family Health Teams. 211 has been helping the people of Ontario navigate community, health, and social services for many years. Learn more about 211 Ontario by registering here.

    Electronic Asthma Management System (eAMS) – Tool Demonstration Webinar
    Tuesday September 15, 2020 – 12:00 – 1:00 pm EDT
    The Electronic Asthma Management System (eAMS) is an evidence-based clinical decision support system developed to improve your ability to deliver best care for patients with asthma. Learn more about the tool by registering here.

    AFHTO 2020 Conference Tectonic shifts: rebuilding primary care in a new world
    Thursday, October 8, 2020 – Friday, October 9, 2020
    Before 2020, anyone with experience in Ontario’s healthcare system thought they knew what change meant. Now such changes seem almost a lifetime ago. COVID-19 has shifted our priorities with a focus on how to support our patients and our teams in new ways of delivering care.

    Primary care has risen to the challenge, but the ground is still shifting, and the future is uncertain. In short, we need to rebuild primary care for this new world. Registration to open soon. Learn more here.

     

    In Case You Missed It: Check out eBulletin #98 or other back issues here!
    Questions? Comments? Contact us at improve@afhto.ca.

     

  • Nominate a partner or healthcare inspiration for an AFHTO Board award

    Nominate a partner or healthcare inspiration for an AFHTO Board award

    The AFHTO board invites all member EDs, lead clinicians and board chairs to help them select the recipient of a Board award.

    Merideth Morrison, Director, Performance, Quality & Development, Health & Emergency Services accepts the 2019 Board award with Kyle MacCallum on behalf of the County of Simcoe Community Paramedicine Program from Minister Hon. Christine Elliott and AFHTO president Dr. Thomas Richard

    The Board award recognizes an individual (or a group) who is not an AFHTO member but has significantly contributed to the development and growth of team-based primary care within their local community or at the provincial level.

    The winner(s) will receive their award(s) during the virtual Bright Lights Awards Ceremony at the AFHTO 2020 Conference on Oct. 8, 2020.

    Submit a nomination for the Board Award category by August 21, 2020.

    Find out more about the criteria here. You can find the nomination template here.

    If you have any questions, please contact us at info@afhto.ca or call 647-234-8605 x 1200.

  • Provincial Pandemic PPE Transitional Support Program Announcement

    This email was sent to EDs/Administrative Leads, Board Chairs and Lead Clinicians of AFHTO member organizations.
     
    From the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic primary, community and mental health care organizations have struggled with a reliable supply chain in accessing personal protective equipment (PPE). Further to that, costs have increased substantially and as sectors started to ramp up their in-person care, there have also been delays on when PPE is received.
     
    We have flagged this issue constantly with the Ministry and Ontario Health and earlier this year we sent an open letter to the Minister with our colleagues at the Ontario College of Family Physicians and the Nurse Practitioners’ Association of Ontario, encouraging the Ministry to streamline procurement and distribution of PPE so that primary care providers are not left on their own to find the supplies they need to provide safe care to their patients.
     
    We are pleased that the Ministry and Ontario Health have heard the concerns of the non-acute sectors and have now developed a provincial pandemic PPE transitional support program. This program is to support Primary Care, Community-based Physician Specialists and Community Health providers, providing them with enough PPE to meet their re-opening needs without the expectation that those providers first attempt to source PPE through their regular supply chain.
     
    There is no charge for accessing the PPE which will be distributed through the Ontario Health regions. At the moment there is no timeline of how long this program will be in effect, but it is available now to help organizations with their in-person fall/winter planning.
     
    Through this program, the following types of PPE can be requested:

    • Surgical Masks
    • Gloves
    • Gowns (one-time use)
    • Hand Sanitizer
    • Face Shields
    • Disinfectant Wipes

    For more information please see attached:

    If you have any questions, please contact your Regional PPE Lead:

    Region     Regional Supply Chain Leads

    Central Region   

    		 Debbie Roberts: Debbie.Roberts@lhins.on.ca
    Susan Gibb: Susan.Gibb@lhins.on.ca

    East Region   

    		 Paul McAuley: Paul.McAuley@3so.ca
    Leslie Motz: lmotz@lh.ca

    North Region    

    		 Matthew Saj: sajm@tbh.net
    Michael Giardetti: giardetm@tbh.net

    Toronto Region    

    		 Rob Burgess: Robert.Burgess@sunnybrook.ca
    Nancy Kraetschmer: Nancy.Kraetschmer@tc.lhins.on.ca
    West Region   Toby O’Hara:  hmmscovid19@hmms.on.ca
  • Measuring the Patient/Client Experience with Virtual Care in Primary Care

    Measuring the Patient/Client Experience with Virtual Care in Primary Care

    Measuring the Patient/Client Experience with Virtual Care in Primary Care 

    Let's Capture the Patient Experience with Virtual Care!

    Purpose: 
    In the last year, Ontarians attended nearly 1,000,000 virtual care visits (Ontario Telemedicine Network, 2019). Virtual care is provided through a vast number of modalities such as voice, video, teleconference, online platforms, and mobile texting (Pearl et al, 2014). While many primary care practices in Ontario have provided virtual care in varying degrees prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, virtually overnight, primary care providers shifted most of their practice to virtual care to reduce COVID-19 spread. With this major transition in the delivery of care, it is important to understand how patients/clients are experiencing virtual care so that care can be optimized to best meet their needs. 

    This survey was created to help fill informational gaps to inform future planning and further support the implementation of virtual care in primary care. This survey can also be used for quality improvement purposes to allow providers to look at ways to improve their care delivery. 

    Survey Development: 
    The rapid adoption of virtual care during the pandemic not only addresses the current needs, but it will most likely shape the future of primary care delivery beyond the pandemic. As a result, the Association of Family Health Teams of Ontario (AFHTO) formed a working group with a number of primary care, health system and health research organizations to measure the patient/client experience with virtual care during the COVID-19 pandemic. These organizations included: Quality Improvement in Primary Care Council (QI in PC Council), Women’s College Hospital Institute for Health System Solutions and Virtual Care (WIHV), eHealth Centre of Excellence (eCE), Ontario Health (Quality) (OH(Q)), and Partnering for Quality. 

    AFHTO created a first draft of the survey based on a literature review of virtual care surveys used in primary care. Due to the need to start surveying during the pandemic, and because many of the questions were adopted from existing and/or validated surveys, this survey did not undergo testing. The draft questions were reviewed and refined by the working group members. 

    Additionally, AFHTO engaged with four Ontario Health Primary Care Quality Advisory Committee patient advisors and one of AFHTO’s Quality Steering Committee patient advisors to review and refine questions. The focus of the patient engagement is to identify questions that are meaningful to patients/clients and can help inform quality improvement of patient/client experience with virtual care in the primary care setting. 

    How this Survey can be Used:
    Data from this survey can be used to inform quality improvement and planning efforts. The survey was not designed to be used for benchmarking or comparative reporting; however, results can help guide practices as they plan service changes to improve their patients’ experience with virtual care. This survey complements practices’ existing patient/client experience surveys (ex: Primary Care Patient Experience Survey developed by OH(Q)).

    Practices can deploy surveys based on the type of visit the patient had:
    Thinking of your most recent visit, was it provided to you in person or virtually (i.e., phone, video, or messaging)? 
    a)    In person ⇒ please complete practice’s existing patient/client experience survey
    b)    Virtually ⇒ please complete the Patient/Client Virtual Care Experience Survey

    The results from this survey will help provide a high-level overview of the patient/client experience with virtual care; however practices are  encouraged to capture few additional data elements to provide a more comprehensive picture of virtual care provided and support the interpretation of the patient/client experience. In particular, the collection of the following two elements will be helpful: 

    a) Virtual Appointment – Reason for Visit/Appointment 

    To accurately capture this information, it is recommended that this data is extracted from the EMR via searches/queries and provide the context for the results of this survey within similar timelines. Queries can be structured to search for which appointment modality (i.e. in-person, telephone, video etc.) was used with which reason for the visit/appointment.

    b) Additional Demographic and Health Equity Data 

    The pandemic has highlighted health care inequities already existing in the population. It is important for practices to understand the variances in their patients’/clients’ experiences which can help inform quality improvement and service planning. It is important to capture social determinants of health (SDOH) such as health-related behaviours, socioeconomic factors, and environmental factors, as they can account for 80-90% of a person’s health (Magnan, 2017). Towards the end of the survey, a few questions capture demographic and health equity data, however practices are strongly encouraged to examine the following resources for additional questions:

    Data Collection: 
    Practices may choose to implement the survey via various modalities such as website, online survey platforms (ex., Microsoft Forms, SurveyMonkey, RedCap, Qualtrics etc.), email, paper, and telephone. For online surveys, a template survey for Microsoft Forms has been created that can be duplicated. If you will be using SurveyMonkey, please email improve@afhto.ca and a copy of the survey will be shared with you. 

    Ocean (CognisantMD) is offering a free platform to patient experience data; however, please refer to this guide to ensure that you have completed all the steps to qualify. For your convenience, eCE has created an Ocean eForm version of the survey, now available to be imported to your Ocean (CognisantMD) site, titled “Primary Care Patient/Client Virtual Care Experience Survey”. Instructions on how to import and configure the survey and data extraction can be found here. 

    For telephone appointments there may be some options available such as adding telephone surveys as an additional duty to screeners at your clinic, creating a telephone survey student project, looking for volunteers and using a telephone survey software. 

    Once you have identified the method of dissemination, it is recommended that the survey be fielded for a specific period (ex. 3 weeks) and that practices review results prior to relaunching the next round of the survey. This will allow you to conduct Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles that are manageable and will allow for time to implement quality improvement changes to improve patient/client experience. 

    Survey PDFs:

     

    AFHTO Provincial Initiative: Help Provide a Provincial Overview of the Patient/Client Virtual Care Experience! 
    Some survey questions may not be applicable to your practice. In collaboration with patient advisors we have identified 5 core questions that we highly recommend remain consistent when being asked. The 5 core questions include: 2, 3, 5, 7, 8 (Appendix A).

    We also highly recommend you report back to AFHTO to support AFHTO’s Provincial Initiative. To further support practices in expanding and solidifying virtual care in primary health at a provincial level, AFHTO will be collecting the practice-level aggregate responses to the survey. 

    A minimum of 5 responses per question will be required for the submission of aggregate results. At the end of June 2021, an aggregate report will be generated with the findings from this survey without any identification of practices. This data will not be used for practice-level funding or public reporting and will only be used to support planning and quality improvement at a regional and provincial level. Participation is highly encouraged, however voluntary. If you choose to participate, please fill in this survey within the first week of the given months: 

    • The week of November 1st, 2020
    • The week of February 1st, 2021
    • The week of May 1st, 2021

     

    For more information, please contact: 

    improve@afhto.ca

    References: 
    Magnan, S. 2017. Social Determinants of Health 101 for Health Care: Five Plus Five. NAM Perspectives. Discussion Paper, National Academy of Medicine, Washington, DC. doi: 10.31478/201710c
    Pearl R. Kaiser Permanente Northern California: current experiences with internet, mobile, and video technologies. Health Aff (Millwood). 2014;33(2):251-257. doi:10.1377/hlthaff.2013.1005
    OTN. “Virtual Care in Action.” OTN, 28 Aug. 2019, www.otn.ca/virtual-care-in-action-archives/
     

  • Bits & Pieces: COVID Alert app, governing through COVID-19 & more

    Bits & Pieces: COVID Alert app, governing through COVID-19 & more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In This Issue  
    • The COVID Alert app is now available!
    • “Governing through COVID-19 and Beyond” – Register now for the next governance webinar!
    • Reminder-COVID-19 ED interviews end soon
    • AFHTO Letter to the OMA Negotiations Committee
    • AFHTO 2020 Conference: did you get your confirmation?
    • 211 Ontario – connecting patients to community programs and services, August 20
    • Electronic Asthma Management System (eAMS) – tool demonstration, Sep. 15
    • Join AFHTO’s IHP Advisory Council – Deadline extended to this Friday, August 7!
    • New quality standards- chronic pain and early pregnancy complications and loss
    • Social work student practicums in FHTs
    • Upcoming events regarding OHT restart and more

    The COVID Alert app is now available!

    This new made-in-Ontario, privacy-first app lets you know if you may have been exposed to COVID-19. To do so, it relies on people voluntarily installing it and telling it if they test positive. The app can then send a message to other app users who have been in close contact with that person over the previous two weeks.

    Everyone is encouraged to download and use the app to help protect themselves and those in their community. We encourage you share this information with your colleagues, family, friends, neighbours, and patients. More information and resources to help you do so are here.

    Reminder: COVID-19 ED interviews end soon
    AFHTO, in partnership with the University of Toronto and Queen’s University, wants to understand the initiatives your team has taken on to continue to provide comprehensive primary care during this pandemic. Interviews end August 14.

    Visit our site to fill out the Doodle poll to schedule your participation.

    “Governing through COVID-19 and Beyond” – Register now for the next governance webinar!

    Join us on Tuesday, August 25, from 12- 2 p.m. for a webinar on governance at this time of uncertainty and change. We will be joined by several speakers who will provide guidance and advice to board members on resumption of services; what governors should know about Ontario Health Teams; and where we  can go from here to continue to strengthen organizational governance practices and prioritize board efforts. There will be time for questions.

    While this webinar is targeted for boards, EDs and staff are welcome to join. Register today!

     

    AFHTO Letter to the OMA Negotiations Committee

    Last week AFHTO provided feedback to the OMA Negotiations Committee on the upcoming Physician Services Agreement based on dialogue with some of our physician leaders. Recommendations include:

    1. Increased access to capitated models of PEMs while also increasing access to team-based care
    2. Permanent billing codes for virtual care and investments in electronic medical record integration
    3. Investment and recognition of clinical leadership while also supporting the organization of primary care

    To learn more, read the full letter.

    AFHTO 2020 Conference logo-cropped

    AFHTO 2020 Conference: did you get your confirmation?

    If you are part of a group that has prepared a submission, please ensure your group contact has received the email with the subject: “Thank you for your AFHTO 2020 Conference Submission!” (Please have them check their junk mail as well.)

    If your contact person has NOT received this confirmation, please contact info@afhto.ca by tomorrow, August 5.

    211 Ontario – connecting patients to community programs and services, August 20

    Co-hosted by AFHTO, this webinar shows how 211 can assist primary care teams. This webinar will provide some baseline information about 211’s Accredited enquiry service and Standards driven resource database of benefit to patients when trying to access services in the community – particularly services during COVID-19, such as mental health services, food and other basic needs. Register here.

    Electronic Asthma Management System (eAMS) – tool demonstration, Sep. 15

    The Electronic Asthma Management System (eAMS) is an evidence-based clinical decision support system developed to improve your ability to deliver best care for patients with asthma.

    The system can be used by any provider and is fully integrated with OSCAR EMR and Telus PS EMR. Find out more here.

    Join AFHTO’s IHP Advisory Council – Deadline extended to this Friday, August 7!

    Are you interested in advising AFHTO on the top issues facing IHPs in team-based care? Would you like to be a leader in working with IHPs in primary care to advocate for and speak to the critical role of teams? Would you like to share and spread knowledge and learnings?

    If yes, AFHTO invites you to apply to join the IHP Advisory Council! We have extended the deadline to apply to this Friday, August 7.

    We are eagerly looking to collaborate with the next IHP leaders to further interprofessional team-based primary care in Ontario. Please consider applying to join us.

    More information on the council is here. If you have any questions, please contact Beth MacKinnon at beth.mackinnon@afhto.ca.

    New quality standards- chronic pain and early pregnancy complications and loss
    Ontario Health (Quality) has released two new quality standards:

    For more information please contact OH-HQO_QualityStandards@ontariohealth.ca.

    Resumption of services guidance, FAQ and more

    Resources released within the past week include:

    We continue to update several pages on our site with resources and news:

    Social work student practicums in FHTs

    The role of social work in Family Health Teams (FHT) in Ontario is critical for the success of patient outcomes. FHTs provide a rich environment for social work students to prepare for their professional careers. University of Toronto is reaching out to ask if you would consider including a social work practicum at your FHT.

    In addition to the regular benefits, there is increased flexibility this year:

    • Practicums can be virtual or in-person
    • Virtual practicums have the benefit of taking place anywhere in Ontario.
    • Time requirements for the 2020-21 academic year can range between 337.5 hours (48.2 days) and 518 hours (74 days).
    • Wednesday, Thursday, Friday remain practicum days. Flexibility is possible, depending on the individual start dates (see note below).  Student orientation may dictate a confirmed start date.
    • Other benefits to field instructors can be found here

    They completely understand that any commitment made will be contingent on capacity to provide supervision in these unusual times. If you wish to learn more about social work practicums, please email Eileen McKee at e.mckee@utoronto.ca or Rachelle Ashcroft at rachelle.ashcroft@utoronto.ca or please see their website for more information.

    If you are able to contribute to the education of an MSW student between now and April 2021, please contact practicum.fsw@utoronto.ca.

     

    Ontario Health Implementation Restart, August 6, 2020

    On August 6, Miller Thomson LLP is holding a complimentary webinar that will cover the recap status of OHTs, update on the new application process, requirements for collaborative decision making and action items for OHTs for each stage of development. Learn more and register here.

    Addressing Caregiver Burnout: Finding and Accessing Supports, August 5 – 19, 2020

    Join the HPCO in this 3-part series while they address burnout by healthcare providers and caregivers. Learn more here.

    Child And Youth Mental Health Morning Rounds And Lunch & Learns, August 11-27, 2020

    The CHEO is holding 4 sessions covering depression in adolescents, anxiety in toddlers and younger children, parent-child relationships and anxiety in adolescents. Find out more here.

    ECHO Concussion Series, September 9 – December 16, 2020

    Don’t miss this free 15-part series this fall on diagnosing and managing your concussion patients. Find out more here.

  • AFHTO’s recommendations to the OMA Negotiations Committee on Physician Services Agreement

    AFHTO consulted with physician leaders to provide feedback for consideration in the development of recommendations to the OMA Negotiations Committee on the upcoming Physician Services Agreement. We submitted recommendations in  multiple areas on July 30, 2020, including:

    1. Increased access to capitated models of PEMs while also increasing access to team-based care
    2. Permanent billing codes for virtual care and investments in electronic medical record integration
    3. Investment and recognition of clinical leadership while also supporting the organization of primary care

    Read the full document here