Ultimate Blogging Championship

Author: sitesuper

  • Auditor General’s Report: Hard look needed to improve CCAC service delivery model

    In a news release announcing a Special Report on CCACs, the Auditor General of Ontario stated, “The Ontario government needs to take a hard look at how the province’s Community Care Access Centres (CCACs), along with their third-party service providers, deliver home- and community-based health care and related support services to patients outside hospital settings.” Effective care coordination is best led by a person’s primary care team throughout his or her lifetime. It reduces duplication, facilitates access and ensures continuity of care regardless of setting, be it care in the home, community, hospital or long-term care facility. As we work together to improve our health system, AFHTO joins with its colleagues on the Ontario Primary Care Council to call on government and others in Ontario’s health system to ensure primary care is supported to fulfill this central role in coordinating care. This Special Report on CCACs (Auditor’s Report) and the Report of the Expert Group on Home and Community Care (Donner Report) provide sound analysis to guide the way forward. Click here to read the Ontario Primary Care Council’s Position Statement on Care Coordination in Primary Care.

  • Data to Decisions eBulletin #19: It’s time to play… Physician Family Feud!

    Physician networking session: What’s an avoidable Emergency Department visit? And who can do what to avoid it? Join your fellow physicians and QIDSS for a networking debate at the AFHTO 2015 Conference that will pit attendees against two feuding teams made up of family and ED physicians. It will consider real-life ED visits that may or may not be avoidable, depending on how the feud plays out. Winners will come away with a sense of satisfaction from helping teams help their patients stay out of ED (note: everyone is a winner!). You won’t want to miss the action! All your colleagues will find sessions of interest during the IHP Networking or Leadership Sessions. The early bird takes flight Monday (Sept. 28th). Register for the AFHTO 2015 conference before prices go up! Other upcoming Events: AFHTO staff, your fellow teams and QIDSS are going to these free conferences OntarioMD Every Step Conference (Oct. 1) and HQO’s Health Quality Transformation (Oct. 14). Sign up for team-level administrative (ICES) data from HQO by Oct. 30, 2015. Ensure you have physician agreement first! Helping patients gain access to their own health information – check out the “hot-off-the-press” summary of the Ontario policy dialogue about implementing electronic personal health records in Canada. Watch for stories from AFHTO members about what works to achieve great performance! Help spread the word about D2D. Invite others to sign up for the eBulletin online.  What is D2D? Data to Decisions (D2D) is a member-wide summary of performance on indicators that are both possible for members to measure and that are meaningful to members. See the D2D page on AFHTO’s website for more information.

  • Family health teams deliver improved diabetes care for Ontario patients

    According to research published in in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ), switching doctors from fee-for-service payment and adding interprofessional health providers to the team appears to result in moderately improved diabetes care for Ontario patients. “Our study suggests that Ontarians might be healthier if everyone had access to team-based care” said Dr. Tara Kiran of St. Michael’s Hospital Academic FHT and one of its authors. Based on data from the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) and the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES) on more than 10 million patients, this longitudinal study asked whether the move of physicians to blended capitation models with care provided by a health care team improved patient outcomes. FHT patients were 22% more likely to receive recommended diabetes testing, more likely to be monitored for diabetes (40% v. 32%), to undergo screening for breast cancer (77% v. 72%) and colorectal cancer (63% v. 61%), than those in a fee-for-service practice. They experienced the greatest improvements in diabetes care over time but had similar improvements in mammography and colorectal cancer as non-FHT patients. With capitation payment, instead of a fee per service provided, physicians earn a set fee per patient per year, regardless of the number of patient visits. Since 2002 in Ontario, 45% of primary care physicians have moved to capitation payment and approximately half of these physicians are with a FHT. The authors, which include Dr. Rick Glazier, Alexander Kopp and Dr. Rahim Moineddin of ICES, also note that while these measures have the potential to improve quality of care, this needs to be weighed against the cost of reforms. For further details please read the relevant articles below:

  • AFHTO members meet with Ministry: what we know and what we’re doing about it

    Over forty AFHTO members from around the province – the combination of AFHTO’s Physician Leadership Council (PLC) and ED Advisory Council (EDAC) – came together last Thursday to dialogue with the Ministry to gain further clarity on what is known (and not known) as it plans for primary care.  One of the messages is that work to develop policy and strategy is underway and that there will be further discussion and consultation as this progresses. Following this dialogue, members concluded the priorities for action they identified over July/August are on the right track, and then developed further advice on each topic.

    Meeting summary

    For the full meeting report click here. So what do we know and where do we go from here?  EDAC and PLC members concluded that:

    • Members should expect a closer relationship between LHINs and primary care, but we don’t know yet what that will look like and whether or not this will include any form of funding and accountability. We need to further develop these relationships right away. AFHTO is facilitating meetings and preparing education materials to help members do this.
    • Government’s priority on access and equity signals that interprofessional teams must continue (or begin) to look more broadly at their communities to find ways to broaden access to team-based care to those who need it most.
      • More equitable funding is needed to attract and retain the staff needed to do all this work. We have no formal commitment from government as of yet; this remains the top priority for AFHTO’s advocacy.
      • As demand grows to broaden access to teams, AFHTO members’ collective work in defining how we measure and track health human resource capacity is critical to reduce the risk of compromising patient care and teamwork. The goal is to introduce an initial indicator of this capacity in the next cycle of Data to Decisions – D2D 3.0.
    • Government is considering a common set of publicly reported, primary care performance indicators. The collective work of AFHTO members to advance measurement is absolutely critical to lead the way to ensure these measures are meaningful to clinicians and manageable for reporting.
    • At the strategy and planning level, we remind the Ministry and LHINs of the need for thoughtful ways to include primary care leaders in its development.
    • As teams, we also need to look internally at how we can improve the value we deliver to our patients and communities.
    • Transparency is critical – at all levels, from the Ministry, from LHINs, from AFHTO, from all of the stakeholders. Information is needed from the Ministry since the voids are being filled by misinformation.

    In light of AFHTO’s growing impact on the provincial stage, EDAC and PLC members applauded as the AFHTO President announced the board’s decision to confer the title of Chief Executive Officer to Angie Heydon, following their recent leadership review. For further details from this meeting please see the full report [PDF].

  • New Look. New Website. Still AFHTO.

    We’re pleased to announce the launch of our new website. With a fresh new look and user-friendly navigation, it’s been updated to help you and our partners find what you’re looking for faster and easier than ever. Changes include:

    • Updated look – Our new homepage features the latest and most relevant news for members.
    • Members Only News preview – missed our last email? A sneak peek at content is now available on the homepage.
    • Improved access to Members Only content – clicked on a link from an e-mail? Now, once you log in, you will be taken directly to the page you’re looking for.
    • Member resources and toolkits are now accessible from the footer on every webpage.
    • Public content updated to more clearly reflect AFHTO’s work and member priorities
    • Easier mobile browsing – the AFHTO website is now accessible on smartphones and tablets

    Member Log-in

    All member log-in details remain the same. If you do not remember your log-in information please contact your team administrator or e-mail info@afhto.ca.

    Further Improvements to the AFHTO Website

    While this is the most dramatic change to the site this year, it’s not the first. The Members Only section was reorganized into five broad categories in April to make our resources easier to find. More changes will be coming within the next year including simplified access to the Members Only section. Stay tuned for more information as these come into effect. We hope you will enjoy the new site. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions please e-mail info@afhto.ca.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    1.      Why have you changed the site?

    The changes to the AFHTO website are part of an overall strategy to provide easy to find and useful information to our members and partners. In our old website, members were finding it increasingly difficult to find the information they needed and asked us to remove barriers to the site. We’ve taken this opportunity to re-organize the content, upgrade the website for browsing on multiple platforms, and provide direct access to the newest and most relevant information.

    2.      Are you making any more changes to the site?

    Yes, this is the second stage of a three-part project. In April 2015, we re-organized the categories of the Members Only section to be more reflective of the work we do and resources we offer. The next stage of the project is to improve access to the Members Only website with more personalized log-ins for individuals working with AFHTO member organizations.

    3.      I see members only news on the home page. Can anyone see this now?

    Everyone visiting the AFHTO website can see the titles of webpages in Members Only News and under AFHTO Programs. You must be logged in to Members Only to see the content of these pages. HINT: All pages with a light blue border are Members Only content and you must be logged in to see the page.

    4.      What is my log-in for the Members Only section?

    All member log-in details remain the same. If you do not remember your log-in access information please e-mail info@afhto.ca or contact your team administrator.

    5.      Can I share my Members Only log-in with my colleagues?

    All AFHTO members have a general log-in to the AFHTO website. This is shared by the administrator of your team with staff, board members and clinicians affiliated with the team.

    6.      I can’t find what I’m looking for. Where can I get help?

    With the reorganization of the site, some content may be in new sections. While we hope this has made things easier to find, we understand there may be a period of adjustment. A few tips for searching content:

    • Web Categories: Take a look at the top menu of the website and Members Only. All content is organized within these categories with the most recent information appearing at the top.
      • HINT: Members Only categories have brief descriptions for the type of content found within each.
    • Keyword Search: Click on the search icon at the top right of your screen and input key words. The search results will pull all public, members only and PDF/Media content on the website based on the key word search.

    And if you’re still not able to find what you’re looking for, please email us at info@afhto.ca or call 647-234-8605 x200.

    7.      I’ve found something out of date or incorrect on the website. How can I get this changed?

    Please send an e-mail to info@afhto.ca with the URL and section of the page that needs updating. We will make necessary corrections as needed.

    8.      How can I add an event, careers posting, success story, etc?

    Send an e-mail to info@afhto.ca with your request to post content on the AFHTO website. As a general rule we accept requests as follows:

    • Events: We will post conferences, webinars, education opportunities and other events that are relevant to AFHTO members and organized by AFHTO partners, non-profit organizations and/or government agencies.
    • Career postings: AFHTO members are welcome to post job openings on this site, free of charge. Please send the complete posting in Word format, including how to apply and closing date, by e-mail to info@afhto.ca.
    • Success Story or Members in the Media: These posts are curated from Canadian news sites. All AFHTO members are invited to share their accomplishments and updates to be posted.
    • Member resources and shared templates: The Members Only website holds a repository of templates and resources developed by other teams. All members are welcome to share content.
    • Other resources: We will post free resources for AFHTO members on our Members Only website. Please contact us to see what information may be relevant.

    Need further help? Contact us at info@afhto.ca or call 647-234-8605 ext. 200.

  • Primary Care Practice Reports available for FHT Executive Directors

    Health Quality Ontario has informed us they are launching team-level access to ICES data for Executive Directors. There is also the possibility of using them to access data for D2D. Discussions are underway to confirm this possibility which will make it that much easier for your team to contribute data to D2D 3.0. The consent page is now live with a deadline of October 30th, 2015 for delivery to teams by mid-December. Please sign up using your official email address to make registration easier (as this should match Ministry records). For further information please see below. …………………………………………………………….. Everyone providing primary care to Ontarians is dedicated to quality improvement. Now, Executive Directors working in Family Health Teams have access to team-level data as well as trends and change ideas through Health Quality Ontario’s group-level Primary Care Practice Report. These team-level  reports will provide you with information on your team’s demographics, case mix, patterns of patient use of service, the health status of your practice population, and information on specific chronic disease management indicators, as well as related quality improvement change ideas. They share how your Family Health Team is performing compared to other teams in your Local Health Integration Network and across the province. They do not have physician-level data but they do have data at the level of the physician group (e.g. FHN, FHO). Physicians can get their own data through a similar process (see below). Primary Care Practice Reports are confidential. Your team’s reports will not be shared with others. It can be used to inform quality improvement work and your Quality Improvement Plans. Before you sign up, inform the physicians in your practice that you’ll be receiving a report with aggregate data for the team. Then sign up to receive your report by visiting HQO’s website. You will receive your first report in December. These Primary Care Practice Reports, which are now being introduced for Executive Directors, have been and still are available to individual physicians who work in primary care and long-term care settings. Encourage physicians working in your Family Health Team to sign up to receive their personalized Primary Care Practice Report. They can also watch this video to hear from family physicians already using this report to help drive change in their practice. The Primary Care Practice Report has been created by Health Quality Ontario and the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences, in partnership with the Association of Family Health Teams of Ontario.

  • Access to team-level ICES data: Instructions

    AFHTO is VERY pleased to share the news that HQO is launching team-level access to ICES data for Executive Directors! The sign-up process is now open. START PREPARING FOR THIS NOW. Schedule discussions with physicians and Boards as needed to establish the necessary internal permissions to sign up for these reports. The sign-up process on the HQO portal will require the ED to indicate that they have informed the physicians in their team and that none object. This is the same level and type of permission that was involved in accessing ICES data for D2D 1.0 and 2.0. If you have any questions about the permission process, please contact Carol Mulder. We are happy to confirm that the portal will be used for teams to access their ICES data for D2D 3.0.  Five of the eight D2D 3.0 indicators will come from the Primary Care Practice report, whereas the other three D2D indicators will be placed in a side report. More details to follow. The sign-up process is now open. Sign up to receive your report by visiting HQO’s website.  The sign-up process to get your ICES data for D2D 3.0 closes October 30, 2015.  Those teams that sign up by October 30th will get their data by mid-December.   Sign up for the report by following these steps:

    • Go to the  HQO Portal
    • Click on the consent button and select the consent option for Executive Directors of Family Health Teams
    • Complete the consent form by:
      1. Selecting your FHT form a dropdown menu
      2. De-select any PEM groups with physicians who have objected to the ED’s request for this data (like D2D, the consent requires EDs to inform all physicians and only request data for groups that did not object)
      3. Providing their names, email addresses (please use your formal organizational emails)
      4. Read the consent form
      5. Check the “I agree” box
      6. Click submit

  • Data to Decisions eBulletin #18: Accessing your team’s ICES data

    Start the sign-up process to get team-level access to your ICES data. Click here for instructions. Progress in measuring our capacity to serve all patients: Click here (scroll down to the “human resource capacity” section) for information about emerging considerations for this new indicator for D2D 3.0. Patient contact system: Learn how the patient contact system is helping 5 teams automatically do patients surveys directly from their EMRs. Nightingale EMR data extraction: Thanks to the efforts of their Community of Practice, all Nightingale EMR users now have access to Data Miner to extract data!  Contact Marg Leyland for information about training. AFHTO at Health Quality Transformation: Come see AFHTO’s posters about working with patients as partners and increasing access to EMR data at Health Quality Transformation 2015 – it’s free! New addition to AFHTO: Welcome to Catherine Macdonald as the new QIDS Program & Governance and Leadership Program Assistant, stepping in as we bid a fond farewell to Denise Pinto who supported our programs from the very beginning! Help spread the word about D2D. Invite others to sign up for the eBulletin online.  What is D2D? Data to Decisions (D2D) is a member-wide summary of performance on indicators that are both possible for members to measure and that are meaningful to members. See the D2D page on AFHTO’s website for more information.

  • Deputy Minister Bob Bell now confirmed for the AFHTO 2015 Conference!

    Throughout the AFHTO 2015 conference, we’ll explore the many ways in which team-based primary care is the foundation of a sustainable health system and the diverse approaches teams are taking to strengthen that foundation. All this work takes place within a larger system so to wrap it up we ask – what’s the government’s vision and direction for primary care in Ontario? And how exactly do we move forward from its current state? Our closing plenary panel discusses this and takes your questions about how best to deliver high-quality, team-based care to all Ontarians who would best benefit from it, what factors affect our ability to deliver such care, and how we can do it in a way that achieves the best value.

    Our panel of experts includes:

    • Dr. Bob Bell, Deputy Minister of Health and Long-Term Care
    • Dr. Sean Blaine, incoming AFHTO President; Lead Physician, STAR FHT (Stratford)
    • Mr. Paul Huras, CEO, South East LHIN
    • Ms. Kavita Mehta, Executive Director, South East Toronto FHT; past president of AFHTO
    • Dr. Cathy Faulds, OCFP President; Lead Physician, London FHT

    Given the challenges and opportunities currently facing the health system, this promises to be a spirited and fruitful discussion. Don’t miss out on your chance to be a part of this conversation!

    Register now for the AFHTO 2015 Conference. Early-bird discounts end September 28.

    The conference also includes:

    And our pre-conference sessions (exclusively for and free to AFHTO members):

    Members receive 50% off registration. Contact your administrator for the access code.

    This program has been accredited by the College of Family Physicians of Canada and the Ontario Chapter for up to 17 Mainpro-M1 credits. Attendance at this program entitles certified Canadian College of Health Leaders members (CHE / Fellow) to 2.5 Category II credits for Oct 27th Governance in Primary Care; 1.5 Category II credits for Oct 28th pre-conference (Leadership and IHP Sessions); 4 Category II credits for the Conference towards for their maintenance of certification requirement.

  • Family Health Teams participating in “Bundled Care” – a funding model aiming to improve care coordination

    Sep. 2 – Minister Dr. Eric Hoskins announced provincial funding for an expanded pilot to provide for patients’ care needs using an approach called bundled care. Taking place in six communities across Ontario, the aim is to help people transition more smoothly from the hospital into their homes. Also known as an “integrated funding model”, with this approach a single payment is provided to a group of health care providers to cover care for an individual patient both in the hospital and at home. Most of their health care team will remain the same, with services coordinated around their needs. This should decrease emergency department visits and lower the risk of readmission. The announcement was made as part of the Ministry’s Patients First: Action Plan for Health Care. In February, changing funding models was outlined as one way to improve the delivery of better coordinated and integrated care. A commitment to proceed with bundled care was also made in Patients First: A Roadmap to Strengthen Home and Community Care in May. Since care coordination is a fundamental role of primary care, this pilot has implications for interprofessional primary care teams whose collaborations with health care partners would be impacted by this change. AFHTO members North York FHT and Thames Valley FHT are currently taking part in these groups which also include such diverse health care organizations as hospitals, community care access centres, Local Health Integration Networks (LHINs) and Ontario Telemedicine Network (OTN). The bundled care approach has been piloted at St. Joseph’s Health System in Hamilton since 2011. Results show hospital stays have been reduced by up to 33 per cent and rates of readmission within 60 days to any hospital have decreased by 56 per cent. The program is also saving up to $4,000 per patient. The province plans to continue the program’s expansion, supporting additional teams in different areas across Ontario within the next year. AFHTO looks forward to learning more about the results of these projects and what they mean for our members. For further information, you can read: