AFHTO is pleased to support Health Quality Ontario’s (HQO) Learning Community Wave 4 in Advanced Access and Efficiency for Primary Care. I’m writing to let FHTs know about an upcoming opportunity to participate in this valuable learning experience. An important goal for a clinic implementing advanced access is that patients calling to schedule a visit are offered an appointment with their provider on their day of choice, which may be the same day or a prebooked appointment for a future day . Advanced Access and Efficiency for Primary Care has been designed to assist providers in reaching this goal by offering Independent and Coach-Supported Learning. Providers can join the Independent Learning approach at any time by visiting www.hqolc.ca/wave4. Applications for Coach-Supported Learning are being accepted at www.hqolc.ca/wave4 until January 13, 2012. There are 150 available spots and spaces may fill with approved applicants prior to the deadline. The 6-month initiative begins on February 1, 2012 and ends July 31, 2012. For a full description of the initiative, including how to join or apply, what participation entails, and how others have already benefited from their experience with Advanced Access, you are encouraged to visit the Advanced Access and Efficiency for Primary Care website at www.hqolc.ca/wave4 to review the initiative’s brochure, backgrounder, project charter and other useful information. You can also get answers to your questions by reviewing the attached brochure, emailing learningcommunityinfo@hqontario.ca or calling 1-877-794-7447, ext. 201. Health Quality Ontario is a government agency that was formed by consolidating the expertise of the Ontario Health Quality Council, the Medical Advisory Secretariat, the Ontario Health Technology Advisory Committee, and the Ontario Health Technology Evaluation Fund, the Centre for Healthcare Quality Improvement and the Quality Improvement and Innovation Partnership.
Blog
-
Ministry Of Labour Blitz on Infection Prevention and Control
From www.ohatoday.com — As part of their Safe at Work Ontario strategy, the Ontario Ministry of Labour (MOL) is conducting an Infection Prevention and Control heightened enforcement campaign at healthcare organizations throughout the month of November.
This campaign, otherwise known as a blitz will see MOL inspectors and infection control specialists conducting both scheduled and unscheduled visits to healthcare facilities. As stated in a recent background information document, Ministry inspectors will check for contraventions to the Occupational Health and Safety Act, Health Care and Residential Facilities Regulation, Needle Safety Regulation, and Other regulations as needed. These contraventions involve, but are not limited to, an employer’s responsibility to protect workers, such as establishing safe work practices, providing worker training and ensuring personal protective equipment is used and maintained. Particular focus will be paid to certain priority areas, including: Employer Duties:- Ensure all reasonable precautions are taken to protect the health and safety of workers from infection hazards.
- Report occupational illnesses to the MOL, trade union (if any) and the workplace’s Joint Health and Safety Committee.
Safe Work Practices:
- Employers develop practices such as respirator fit-testing, safe use and disposal of sharps, maintenance of ventilation systems, and cleaning and disinfection, for the protection of workers from infection hazards.
- Workers follow the safe work practices and use the required personal protective equipment.
- Workplace parties inspect the workplace for infection hazards.
Personal Protective Equipment and Safety Devices:
- Proper use and maintenance of personal protective equipment, for example gloves, eye protection and respirators.
- Workers access to appropriate hygiene facilities.
- Safe handling and using safety-engineered needles.
Worker Information, Education and Training:
- Worker awareness of infection hazards in the workplace and training in the safe handling, storage, use, disposal and transport of infectious agents.
- Workers have appropriate information, instruction and supervision to protect their health and safety.
-
Medical Directives from the North York Family Health Team
You can access thirteen medical directives on a variety topics by clicking on the links below. These directives have been created by the North York Family Health Team, and are posted for information and use by other FHTs.
-
AFHTO Bylaw #4 approved at October 2011 Annual Meeting
Click here to access AFHTO Bylaw #4. Having received membership approval at the October 25, 2011 Annual Meeting, this bylaw is currently in force.
-
Leading For Change
AFHTO 2011 Conference Presentation Steven Lewis, well-respected Canadian health policy consultant, opened the Leadership Program with his thoughts on the future of family health teams in Ontario. To access his presentation slides, please click here. Steven Lewis’ knowledge and analysis of health integration issues across Canada make him a valuable resource for Ontario’s Change Foundation and the province. Based in Saskatoon, Steven was recently a Visiting Scholar at Vancouver’s Simon Fraser University, where he also works as an adjunct professor. He has headed a health research granting agency and spent seven years as CEO of the Health Services Utilization and Research Commission in Saskatchewan. He has served on various boards and committees, including the Governing Council of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Saskatchewan Health Quality Council, the Health Council of Canada, and the editorial boards of several journals, including the newly launched Open Medicine. His published work covers topics such as reforming and strengthening medicare, improving health-care quality, primary health care, regionalization and integration, and the management of wait times. Click here to view presentation.
-
Results of the AFHTO-OMA physician survey
2011 AFHTO conference presentation
PRESENTER (S): Dr. John McDonald, President, AFHTO and Lead Physician, PrimaCare FHT; Dr. Stewart Kennedy, President, Ontario Medical Association and Physician, Harbourview FHT
FHT/ORG: AFHTO/OMA
ABSTRACT: AFHTO and the OMA are collaborating on a survey of physicians working in FHTs. Its purpose is to inform both associations on the experience of physicians working in this model, and gain insight into their needs, ideas, issues and concerns. The results will be released in this joint OMA/AFHTO presentation and discussion.
Click here to view presentation. (Hold cursor over top left corner of each slide to see additional background on the slide.)
-
Using IT to Solve Process Problems
2011 AFHTO conference presentation PRESENTER (S): Dave Sellers, Director of Operations; Dr. Mark Fraser, Lead Physician FHT/ORG: West Carleton FHT ABSTRACT: This presentation will describe how innovative approaches within the FHT IT infrastructure have been used to solve process issues and improve efficiencies and data quality. The quality of the data in your EMR has a direct impact on quality of care and your ability to identify care issues, promote self care and identify population care needs. The presenter will demonstrate approaches that have been used and the impact that they have made in the FHT using tools that you may already have and did not know it. This is a highly technical presentation; therefore you should have a good understanding of your current Information Technology Infrastructure and processes to glean the most from this presentation. This presentation is not specific to single vendors EMR. Click here to view presentation.
-
Realizing Patient Goals
2011 AFHTO conference presentation PRESENTER (S): Andrea Petroff, BA Honours. Psych, M.I.R. (Masters of Industrial Relations), Executive Director; Claudia Mariano, NP-PHC, MSc Primary Health FHT/ORG: West Durham FHT ABSTRACT: Our commitment to our patients, our community, and to ourselves, to provide the best possible care for chronically ill patients, meant that we needed to take a cold, hard look at how we currently manage versus how we need to be managing this vulnerable patient population. Focusing first on patients with diabetes; we took a strategic approach to establishing FHT procedures and policies that can be easily applied in managing other chronic illness. These are the tactics we employed:
- Developed outcome and monitoring goals for all Type Two diabetic patients >18yrs
- EMR review of baseline patient statistics measured against goals set
- In-depth analysis of current resources, practice design, interprofessional collaboration and office efficiencies to identify gaps that jeopardized our goals
- Prioritized actions to address areas of concern and assigned personnel to lead change for improvement
Click here to view presentation.
-
Walk to Wellness
2011 AFHTO conference presentation
PRESENTER (S): Heather Hadden, BSc Phm
FHT/ORG: Credit Valley FHT
ABSTRACT: The Credit Valley Family Health team works with many patients who have chronic disease states. These include but are not limited to Diabetes, COPD, Asthma, Hypertension, Obesity, Arthritis and Osteoporosis. Many of these patients do not lead an active lifestyle and do not meet the Canadian recommended requirements for daily activity. It was felt that having a weekly walking group would help to educate and motivate these patients to increase their daily activity. The “Walk to Wellness” program started with a selected group of patients with Diabetes. Our goals were not only to provide a 2-hour orientation on active lifestyle and then a weekly 1-hour activity session but also to help motivate the patient to do expand on their own. Goals included weight loss, decrease in BMI, decrease in waist circumference and also changes in FBS, HBA1C, Triglycerides, Cholesterol, LDL, HDL, and cholesterol ratio. To date the program has opened up to patients with COPD, Asthma, Obesity, Arthritis, Osteoporosis, CVD and addictions.
Click here to view presentation.
-
Using Spirometry in Clinical Practice
2011 AFHTO conference presentation PRESENTER (S): Angie Shaw, RRT,CRE Respiratory Educator; Amy Massie, RRT, CRE Respiratory Educator FHT/ORG: New Vision FHT ABSTRACT: This workshop will assist Family Health Team members in utilizing spirometry as a valuable tool in various clinical settings. Case studies will be presented, worked and reviewed. There will be a brief review of spirometry interpretation principles. Participants will then have the opportunity to practice interpretations, and consider recommendations based on the case presentations. Upon completion of the workshop participants will be better able to use spirometry results as a valuable tool in diagnosis and treatment of obstructive/restrictive lung conditions, and have an improved understanding of what recommendations to make based on results from spirometry testing. Click here to view presentation.