Ultimate Blogging Championship

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  • D2D 3.0 Data Submission – Instructional Webinar Recording

    Updated February 1, 2016 This recorded webinar will guide you through the data-submission process for D2D 3.0. It is an orientation to the platform, with a walkthrough illustrating how to submit your data as well as an introduction to the D2D 3.0 Data Dictionary and Toolkit.

    This webinar was held twice on December 2, 2015 for AFHTO members.  

  • Member News: relevant updates, resources, information and learning opportunities

    Below are relevant updates and items for AFHTO members, including free training and funding opportunities:

    Updates Relevant to Primary Care

    Clinical Resources
    • New provincial clinical tool on poverty and others: developed by the Centre for Effective Practice, as part of their Knowledge in Primary Care Initiative with the Ontario College of Family Physicians (OCFP) and the Nurse Practitioners’ Association of Ontario (NPAO)

     

    Information to share with Patients
    •  The Caring Experience: The Change Foundation and the Ontario Caregiver Coalition want to hear from family caregivers. Financial support for transportation, childcare, etc. is available.

    Events and Learning Opportunities

     

     

  • Undervalued: The revolving door of dietitians

    Sudbury Northern Life article published on November 30, 2015. Article pasted in full below Jonathan Migneault – Sudbury Northern Life

    Lower salaries to blame, says Dietitians of Canada

    Sudbury’s City of Lakes Family Health Team has had three registered dietitians since 2008, due to a high turnover rate.“We joke that primary care just has a revolving door,” said Ashley Hurley, the family health team’s current registered dietitian. According to a new report from Dietitians of Canada, the situation in Sudbury is not uncommon for primary care dietitians in Ontario. A survey of dietitians across the province found that only 16 per cent of primary care dietitians, like Hurley, have been in their current positions for more than five years. The report found that 35 per cent of primary health care dietitians plan to leave their current position within the next two years, and an additional 49 per cent report they are undecided whether they will leave. The reason for the high turnover rate across Ontario, said Hurley, is that many registered dietitians in her field feel undervalued, because they do not earn as much as other professionals in primary care who have similar levels of education. Registered dietitians who work in family health teams make between $51,641 and $62,219 a year. Registered nurses, occupational therapists, social workers, respiratory therapists and chiropodists, who work in the same teams, make between $55,251 and $66,568 a year. The Ministry of Health and Long Term Care funds and determines the salary ranges, which were first set in 2005, and adjusted in 2009, when all family health team professionals received a 2.25 per cent salary increase. But Angie Heydon, CEO of the Association of Family Health Teams of Ontario, said even at the high end, those ranges are below the rates health care professionals make in other sectors, such as hospitals. “As a result, there is high staff turnover as professionals leave these primary care positions to work in more lucrative settings,” she said. Those settings include hospitals, public health and the Community Care Access Networks. Dietitians of Canada argue the lower salaries for registered dietitians in the field date back an error in the salary structure that has not been corrected since 2005. “We’re a relatively small group, and it’s always the squeaky wheel that gets the grease,” said Hurley. Leslie Whittington-Carter, Dietitians of Canada’s co-ordinator of Ontario government relations, said correcting the job classification would help address the high turnover rate in primary care. Registered dietitians need a at least a four-year bachelor degree, a one-year internship, and to complete a national exam to perform their duties. Thirty-four per cent of dietitians working in primary care have a master’s degree, and 54 per cent specialize in diabetes education. Hurley said registered dietitians play a vital role in managing chronic diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease and hypertension. They also play an important role in early child development, through proper nutrition, and healthy aging. “With seniors, for example, if we can keep them well nourished as they age, it can lead to fewer hospitalizations, shorter stays, fewer readmissions,” she said.
     

  • QI Simplified: Stroke Prevention by Thrombosis Canada

    Thrombosis Canada has created a quality improvement program for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation. This QIP is fully integrated into EMR and provides point of care solutions based on the Thrombosis Canada clinical guides and tools.  Participants of the Thrombosis Canada QIP are eligible for up to 6 Main Pro C credits. This initiative is also harmonized with the recent mandate from the MOHLTC for all Family Heath Teams, Community Health Clinics and other models to initiate QIPs. All project elements will be supported by Thrombosis Canada. This program has been piloted and will now be offered to 10 additional sites in 2016 by way of an application process. To learn more about this collaborative and facilitated quality improvement program focused on stroke prevention, please visit www.thrombosiscanada.ca. Each year approximately 50,000 Canadians suffer a stroke, which is one every 10 minutes. Of these, two will recover, six will suffer permanent disability and two will die. Strokes are the leading cause of disability, and the third leading cause of death in Canada. They cost the Canadian economy at least $2.7 billion dollars annually.

  • D2D 3.0 Data Submission

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  • Seniors Community Grant funding: application deadline March 4, 2016

    Ontario is accepting applications for the Seniors Community Grant Program until March 4, 2016.  According to the submission guidelines, eligible applicants “must represent seniors groups or not-for- profit organizations or offer programs or services which directly benefit seniors living in Ontario.” This is an excellent opportunity to forge and/or strengthen community partnerships in order to meet local needs. On page 11 of the guidelines it states ineligible organizations include those whose “primary source of annual base funding is from the province of Ontario”; however, it also states: “One organization may apply on behalf of a group of organizations. The lead organization will be legally responsible for the agreement and the project on behalf of the group that they represent.” As such you may be able to partner with one or more organizations who are eligible to apply as listed on page 10-11 of the guidelines. For further information on eligibility and other matters please contact the Seniors Community Grant Program, seniorscommunitygrant@ontario.ca or 1-844-SCG-2016 (1-844-724-2016).

  • Video: Why D2D Matters – A family doctor’s perspective

    Data to Decisions (D2D) is a membership-wide report on performance in primary care. In this 4 minute video, Dr. Michelle Greiver, North York FHT, describes the reasons she values Data to Decisions. Share this video with your colleagues, physicians and board members to start conversations about how your team could benefit from D2D.

    Next steps for participating in D2D are outlined on the Data to Decisions: Advancing Primary Care webpage.

    Additional AFHTO members have shared their experiences participating in D2D:

    “I see D2D 2.0 as a unique reflection of interdisciplinary care. Reporting how we are doing as teams can help those of us in the trenches measure, improve and ultimately advocate for team-based care across Ontario” Cathy Faulds, lead physician, London FHT

    “I see D2D 2.0 as a way to make measurement more reflective of how I work every day with my team and with my patients.  I like the idea of having input into what those measures are. D2D 2.0 gives me a way to do that” Rob Annis, family physician, Board member North Perth FHT (Listowel) and AFHTO

    “D2D 2.0 lets me see how our team stacks up against other teams like us so we can see where the gaps are locally as well as across the province. This gives me a sense of pride in what we have already been able to achieve – and helps me focus my energy on what is most important” Kavita Mehta, Executive Director of South East Toronto FHT, AFHTO board member

    “D2D moves quality improvement to the next level. Optimizing the patient experience happens when we measure the things that are truly meaningful to both patients and their healthcare providers.” Dave Courtemanche, Executive Director, City of Lakes FHT (Sudbury), QIDSS host team

    “AFHTO members are delivering great value – D2D 2.0 gives us a way to demonstrate that in a way that we and our partners can see and act on it!” Randy Belair, Executive Director Sunset Country FHT, QIDSS host team, AFHTO president

    Click here for information about how to contribute to D2D today.

  • The Caring Experience: Family Caregiver Engagement

    The Change Foundation along with the Ontario Caregiver Coalition has launched The Caring Experience, an engagement project with family caregivers across Ontario in order to learn more about their experiences, specifically related to their interactions with the health care system. Findings will be compiled into a summary report to be made publicly available and will help inform both organizations’ future work. In phase one during the winter the organisations listened to caregivers, who participated in workshops, journey mapping and more. Now in phase two (until June 2016) they seek to engage with frontline health care providers, through a series of sessions as well as a survey. To learn more and to participate, please visit their site. Relevant Links:

     

  • Social Workers and Social Service Workers Professional Development Fund

    Ontario has launched a special two-year pilot project to provide financial assistance (up to $300 per year) for professional development activities completed by social workers and social service workers. Seminars, online courses, conferences and more are eligible for reimbursement. Training that supports the province’s priorities to care for vulnerable populations and their complex needs will be given priority. To learn more please visit the Ontario Association of Social Workers site.

  • Preconception Health Care Tool

    The Knowledge Translation in Primary Care Initiative is aimed at developing and disseminating health information and clinical tools to support primary care providers.  The purpose of the initiative is to improve engagement and enhance communication with primary care providers across Ontario. In collaboration with the Ontario College of Family Physicians (OCFP) and the Nurse Practitioners’ Association of Ontario (NPAO), the Centre for Effective Practice (CEP), has developed different tools including: Preconception Health Care Tool The first clinical tool developed under the initiative, it is intended to support primary care providers to improve maternal and infant health outcomes. Well-documented evidence has shown that good health begins even before conception. It has been shown that healthy individuals have a much better chance of having babies who enjoy good health throughout their lives.