Ultimate Blogging Championship

Tag: Access to Care

  • Improving access to care in the academic family health team

    The big challenge in family practices within academic settings is, how do you match a naturally variable demand to a highly artificially variable supply. How do you connect the patients to that ever moving supply? The connection could be called or labeled continuity.  So do you want continuity to a group (and no delays) or continuity to individuals with guaranteed delays? If you choose the second alternative how can you maximize continuity and minimize delays? It’s all in how you design the system. Here are links to a few published articles on access in academic settings:

  • The Virtual Ward

    This slide presentation from the AFHTO 2010 conference describes the Virtual Ward – a method of providing the support of a hospital ward but in the patient’s home environment. It provides care to the most medically and socially complex patients in their home setting along with multidisciplinary case management. The SETFHT Virtual Ward is for patients who have been admitted to Toronto East General Hospital for a chronic condition such as heart failure, bronchitis, emphysema or diabetes who are without a family doctor. Patients are offered to be rostered within the FHT and be part of the Virtual Ward.  Once patients are at home, they receive follow-up care from various health care providers by phone and home visit as necessary. This may include phone calls to monitor their daily symptoms, answering their questions about medications and ensuring they have the supports to manage. They may also receive equipment that will help them monitor their health condition at home such as a blood pressure cuff, weight scale or a blood sugar monitor. This innovative approach to attaching patients to a family doctor and then providing comprehensive care to them once at home, will hopefully prevent further admissions to hospital and reduce wait times in emergency. It also allows patient to learn how to self manage their condition in order to take care of their own health at home. PRESENTER: Carol Toenjes FHT: South East Toronto Family Health Team Click here to view.

  • Store Forward Dermatology Program Improves Access

    This slide presentation from the AFHTO 2010 conference demonstrates how Store Forward technology has been used to address a large service gap for dermatological consult services in the Kingston area.  Patients had been facing a 12-14 month wait for a specialist appointment.  Store Forward technology, a subsection of the Ontario Telemedicine Network, has allowed the Kingston FHT to initiate an innovative partnership with a dermatologist in Belleville, Ontario. Using a special camera and a secure internet link, the Physician Assistant (PA) is able to see patients with lesions in 1-2 weeks, take photos of the affected areas and make a detailed dermatological referral electronically.  Usually in 1-2 weeks, the Dermatologist reviews the photos and data and returns a diagnosis with treatment suggestions.  If removal of the lesion is recommended, it can be booked and completed by the PA or sent to a Plastic Surgeon. The PA has had several hands-on training sessions with the Dermatologist expanding his skill and role in the Team. PRESENTERS: Blaine Montroy, David Pinkerton FHT/ORG: Kingston Family Health Team Click here to view.

  • Mobility Clinic – Primary Care Accessibility Project for People with Mobility Issues

    Significant health care gaps exist for individuals with mobility impairments.  Although they have similar basic health care needs as the general population, this group (persons with spinal cord and head injuries, neurological and musculoskeletal impairments) are less likely to receive the same level of basic preventative care. This slide presentation from the AFHTO 2010 conference outlines the Centre For Family Medicine FHT’s response to these gaps.  It established a Mobility Clinic in July 2009 to “level the playing field” and enhance quality of care and improve health outcomes of persons with mobility impairments by increasing access to care and building capacity. An interprofessional clinic formed through a partnership between the CFFM, the Ontario Neurotrauma Foundation and Schlegel-University of Waterloo Research Institute for Aging; the clinic also provides educational and training opportunities to learners and practitioners in family medicine, pharmacy and social work and fosters increased awareness of mobility issues within the public and health profession domains. There are a number of patient, health professional and system-related outcomes being tracked to establish the efficacy of this project. PRESENTERS: James  Milligan, Joseph Lee FHT: Centre For Family Medicine FHT Click here to view.

  • Improving Access to Mental Care

    This slide presentation from the AFHTO 2010 conference reviews a number of capacity building mental health initiatives geared to improve access to mental health assessments and interventions in primary care.  A brief presentation of a number of innovative initiatives and outcomes will be provided.  This will allow the audience, in a short time, to become familiar with a range of ideas and projects, and to establish contacts if they wish more information. PRESENTERS: Catherine McPherson-Doe, Carol Melnick, Brenda Mills, Leslie Born, Adrienne Sloan, Lindsey George FHT: Hamilton Family Health Team Click here to view.

  • Best Gift of All – Newborn Baby Program

    This slide presentation from the AFHTO 2010 conference describes a partnership with the hospital to roster unaffiliated newborn babies and provide a nurse-led postpartum service for those mothers and babies within 3 days of discharge.  The presentation includes the process flow for interface with hospital, outcome study for first 35 babies, linkage with public health and hospital post partum high risk clinic to ensure consistent messaging and no duplication of service. PRESENTERS: Louise Smith, Kim Perrin FHT: Credit Valley FHT Click here to view.