Ultimate Blogging Championship

Tag: Care for Specific Populations

  • QI in Action eBulletin #118: Cancer Screening Program Updates and Team Initiatives

    In this Issue:

    • Nurse Practitioner Scope of Practice Changes
    • Ontario Cervical Screening Program Recommendations
    • Screening Activity Report
    • Continuing Professional Development Modules
    • Cancer Screening Initiatives in Teams
    • Upcoming Webinar

     

    Nurse Practitioner Scope of Practice Changes
    Content below developed by Ontario Health

    The Ontario Breast Screening Program (OBSP) and the Ontario Lung Screening Program (OLSP) are pleased about amendments to Regulation 543 under the Healing Arts Radiation and Protection Act and Regulation 107/96 under the Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991, which will allow nurse practitioners (NPs) to order computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging scans as of July 1, 2022.
     
    As of July 1, 2022, NPs will be able to:

    • Refer individuals to the High Risk OBSP. The updated referral form will be available on July 1st and can be found here.
    • Manage unattached OBSP participants with abnormal results.
    • Authorize OBSP sites to arrange all assessment tests required for OBSP participants.  
    • Refer individuals to the OLSP. The updated referral form can be found here.

     
    NPs are still able to provide colonoscopy referrals for the ColonCancerCheck program. Ontario Health helps people with an abnormal fecal immunochemical test (FIT) result who don’t have a primary care provider find a provider to refer them for a follow up colonoscopy. If an NP would like to put their name on the Ontario Health list to support unattached patients with abnormal FIT results, they can complete the CCC Attachment form found here.  
     
    Further information about the OBSP can be found here in English and French.
    Further information about the OLSP can be found here in English and French.

    Ontario Cervical Screening Program (OCSP) Recommendations
    Content below developed by Ontario Health

    The OCSP now formally recommends that people with the following cervical screening results repeat their cytology test in 12 months instead of in 6 months:

    • A first time low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LSIL) or atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASCUS) result
    • An LSIL or ASCUS result followed by a normal result

     
    The OCSP originally released these evidence-based recommendations to support the gradual resumption of cervical screening services during COVID-19. We are now formalizing the change to our screening recommendations. Please see the fulsome screening recommendation summary that can be found here. For evidence to support this recommendation, please see: www.cancercareontario.ca/repeatcytologyinterval
     
    Ontario Health is working with Ontario labs that provide cervical screening testing to update the relevant cytology result reports, so they reflect this recommendation change. Please reach out to cancerinfo@ontariohealth.ca if you have any questions.

    Screening Activity Report
    Content below developed by Ontario Health

    The Screening Activity Report (SAR) is an electronic audit and feedback tool for patient enrolment model (PEM) physicians. The SAR supports PEM physicians with improving screening participation and follow-up rates for Ontario’s three organized screening programs:

    • Ontario Breast Screening Program (OBSP)
    • Ontario Cervical Screening Program (OCSP)
    • ColonCancerCheck (CCC)

    Information and tools to support using the SAR can be found on: cancercareontario.ca/SAR

    Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Modules
    Content below developed by Ontario Health

    The following cancer screening Continuing Professional Development (CPD) modules are available for providers:

    • Fecal Immunochemical Test (FIT): A Non-Invasive Test for Colorectal Cancer (CRC) Screening
    • Abnormal Fecal Immunochemical Test (FIT) Follow-Up and Surveillance
    • Lung Cancer Screening for People at High Risk (for applicable providers)

     
    Each module has been certified by the College of Family Physicians of Canada for 1 Mainpro+ Group Learning credit. If you are interested in a presentation of these new modules, please contact your Regional Cancer Program or your Regional Primary Care Lead.  Information about the Regional Cancer Programs can be found here.

    Cancer Screening Initiatives in Teams

    Preventative Care Text Reminders at Marathon Family Health Team
    Content below developed by Marathon Family Health Team

    Text reminders have been used for over 2 years at Marathon FHT to remind consenting patients the day before a scheduled clinic appointment. Aside from a small percentage of cell phone numbers being no longer valid when reminders are sent, the process has been going smoothly and reduced the administrative time needed to make reminder calls.  

    Given the success with general appointment reminders, in 2021 the team looked to expand the text reminder system to preventative care recall. In the fall of 2021, it was used first to notify patients aged 65+ of flu shot clinics.  Then in December 2021, the first set of text reminders was sent out to 31 patients due or overdue for Pap testing.  While the uptake from flu shot reminders has not been tracked, 7 (22.6%) of the patients receiving Pap reminders contacted the clinic within 2 weeks to book a Pap. Text reminders have also been successful in encouraging patients due for mammograms to book appointments with the Screen for Life Coach; last spring the booking staff for the coach confirmed that several patients called for appointments following the text reminder notifications of upcoming visits of the coach to our rural northern community.

    In all cases, the reminders are short and offer the option to opt out of preventative care reminders while retaining the usual clinic appointment reminders. Staff ensure that patient cell phone numbers are recorded in the cell phone field in the EMR (OSCAR) and consent for reminders is recorded in a previously unused demographic field now named “SMS consent”.  Patients opting out of specific preventative care reminders have that recorded under the specific prevention as “never remind”.

    Sample messages are as follows:
    MFHT Pap reminder: Email appointments@mfht.org or call 807-229-3243 to book a Pap. To opt out of Pap reminders CALL the clinic 807-229-3243
    MFHT reminder: Screen for Life Coach in Marathon June/Sep call 1-800-461-7031 to book a mammogram.  To opt out of mammogram reminders CALL the clinic 807-229-3243

    To learn more about this initiative please contact Margaret Cousins at mcousins@mfht.ca.

    Portal Messages at West Carleton Family Health Team
    Content below developed by West Carleton Family Health Team

    West Carleton FHT utilizes population health methods, namely EMR reminders, the newsletter and portal messages (note that 72% of patients at this FHT are registered on the portal) to inform patients that they are (or may be) (over)due and how to book/request the test. For the portal specifically, the health promoter runs a search to pull the list of eligible patients that are due then sends a mass portal message. Here is the response rate by cancer screening program:

    • For the FIT, over the last 2 times the portal messages were sent, 20.7% of the patients receiving those messages requested the test (370 requests out of 1,791 messages).
    • For Paps, the portal messages are staggered until the pap clinic slots are filled. During the latest pap clinic, 20.8% of the patients that received a message booked an appointment on the portal (49 appointments booked online out of 236 messages).
    • For mammography, over the last 2 times the portal messages were sent, the rate of messages read was 78.7% after 3 weeks and 52.4% after 2 weeks respectively (708 and 418 messages sent respectively).

    To learn more about this initiative please contact Charles Bruntz at charles.bruntz@esfam.ca.

    Email Communications to Engage Patients
    Content below developed by Southlake Academic Family Health Team

    Southlake Academic Family Health Team has made tremendous strides in the digital era produced by COVID-19. They have seen that email communication has been a very effective strategy to engage patients and provide them with important updates related to their health. Adapting successes from their vaccination clinics, the team is emailing education materials and newsletters to patients who are overdue for cervical cancer screening using resources from CognisantMD Ocean portal, AFHTO, Cancer Care Ontario, clinicians, and peers. These emails include a direct link to book appointments online with their providers for a Pap test. Based on past experiences, the team expects about 50% engagement from the email campaign, with 10-30% of these patients self-initiating an appointment with the team.

    To learn more about this initiative please contact Peter Nguyen at pnguyen@southlakeregional.org.  

    Content below developed by New Vision Family Health Team

    New Vision Family Health Team is actively emailing patients who have email addresses that they are due and providing them a link to book online with the NP during NP clinics. During Pap visits the team ensures that patients due for mammograms or FIT/colonoscopies are being provided requisitions or requisitions are being sent at that time. The team is actively tracking these conversations within the Pap stamp and utilizing the patient newsletter to remind patients of these screenings, letting them know they will receive a letter in the mail and need to contact the clinic to set up their appointment.

    To learn more about this initiative please contact Desirée DeMelo at desiree@newvisionhealth.ca.  

    Cancer Screening Queries
    To assist teams in pulling a list of up-to-date screening-eligible patients, the QI in PC Council members have put together a few queries. Please note, these queries are designed as a starter point to be customized according to your team’s EMR and needs. They can be found here.

    Upcoming Webinar

    Advancing Equity in Cancer Screening for Gender-Diverse Clients
    June 17 from 12:30-1:30 pm
    New, gender-affirming cancer screening guidelines have been developed to support the health and wellbeing of Transgender and Non-Binary clients. Research shows that these populations have lower than average screening rates because outreach efforts often miss eligible clients; screening practices that can trigger gender dysphoria; and many clinicians experience confusion about who is eligible for cervical and breast screening. Join us on Friday, June 17, from 12:30-1:30pm for a special lunch ‘n’ learn webinar with guests from Ontario Health and Alliance member organizations to learn about the new guidelines and how the Alliance is helping to update data standards. Register here.

     

    In Case You Missed It: Check out eBulletin #117 or other back issues here!
    Questions? Comments? Contact us at improve@afhto.ca.

  • Bits & Pieces: #AFHTO2022 abstract deadline tomorrow and more

    Bits & Pieces: #AFHTO2022 abstract deadline tomorrow and more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In This Issue  
    • AFHTO 2022 conference abstract deadline tomorrow
    • Nominations to the AFHTO Board of Directors are open until July 29, 2022
    • Practical technologies that can enable ageing in place materials available
    • Almost time for Election 2022
    • Member stories
    • Mental wellness supports, planning vaccination for the under 5-yr olds and more
    • Examining cannabis use and mental health concerns in youth
    • Reminder- seeking input on the structure of social work practice in primary care
    • Upcoming events including Clearing the Air on Asthma and COPD and more

    AFHTO 2022 conference abstract deadline tomorrow

    via GIPHY

    Run, don’t walk to submit your abstract. Your peers, colleagues from other health care sectors, non-profits, and the academic community are eager to hear from YOU. The deadline to submit for an #AFHTO2022 presentation is tomorrow, May 26, 2022, at 5:00 p.m.

    Confirmations will be sent within a business day of the deadline.

    Nominations to the AFHTO Board of Directors are open until July 29, 2022

    Are you interested in serving on the AFHTO board of directors? The Governance Committee of AFHTO’s board invites anyone who works within an AFHTO member organization to apply. Please share this call for nominations with all who work in your team and with members on your Board. Find out more here.

    Title screenshot

    Practical technologies that can enable ageing in place materials available
    On May 19 Dr. Samir Sinha, Director of Geriatrics at Sinai Health, and University Health Network (UHN) and Director of Health Policy Research at the National Institute on Ageing (NIA) presented on Practical Technologies that can Enable Ageing in Place. Materials are now available here.

     

     

    Questions to ask MPP candidates: Do you support team-based primary care? How will you advocate for expanding access to team-based primary care in Ontario and in our community? How will you ensure there is a sufficient healthcare provider workforce to sustain our healthcare system now and in the future?

    Almost time for Election 2022

    Advanced voting has opened and it’s almost time for the provincial election on June 2. Healthcare is a top issue for all parties AND the public, so use all the resources available to make your voice heard.

    Share successes, pictures from candidate meetings, or pictures of patients with a voter card on social media. Broadcast what you do to deliver the best primary care in Ontario where It Takes a Team. Thank you to all the teams who have shared so far.

    AFHTO is tweeting regularly. We ask you tag @afhto when you tweet, and we’ll also retweet you! Don’t forget to use our campaign slogan #ItTakesATeam

    If you have any questions, please email advocacy@afhto.ca.

    Member stories

    Marathon FHT– Marathon FHT physician feted by medical school

    Summerville FHT – Help us fix family doctor shortage ‘crisis,’ GPs tell Ontario election candidates

    Upper Grand FHT– Care map workshop to help caregivers with burnout

    Mental wellness supports, planning vaccination for the under 5-yr olds and more

    Recent updates include:

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

    Examining cannabis use and mental health concerns in youth

    Dr. Toula Kourgiantakis from the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work at the University of Toronto is conducting a research study titled Examining Cannabis Use and Mental Health Concerns in Youth from the Perspectives of Youth, Parents, and Service Providers: A Community-Based Participatory Research Approach. To participate, you must be a service provider (physician, social worker, psychologist, nurse, pharmacist, or psychotherapist) in a health and mental health care setting, who works with or occasionally treat youth and or young adults (aged 16-24). Read more here.

    Reminder- seeking input on the structure of social work practice in primary care

    Dr. Rachelle Ashcroft, an Assistant Professor at the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto, is the lead investigator for a research study titled The Structure of Social Work Practice in Ontario Family Health Teams: A Mixed-Methods Study. It involves a provincial-wide survey and semi-structured focus groups with discussions focused on examining the daily practice of social workers in FHTs during the pandemic. Read more here.

    Ontario College of Family Physicians/University of Toronto DFCM CoP, May 27, 2022
    Starting at 7:55 a.m, a short update on what you need to know about Monkeypox will also be discussed. Register here.

    Clearing the Air on Asthma and COPD: When Undertesting Leads to Overdiagnosis, June 8, 2022
    What are the barriers to pulmonary function testing? And how might clinicians and patients be supported to avoid over-diagnosis and over-treatment? They’ll discuss these questions and more on June’s Choosing Wisely Talks. Register here.

    Advancing equity in cancer screening for gender-diverse clients June 17, 2022

    New, gender-affirming cancer screening guidelines have been developed to support the health and wellbeing of Transgender and Non-Binary clients. Register here.

    Spirometry Testing for Diagnosing Asthma and COPD in Primary Care – The Why and the How, June 16, 2022
    The goal of Choosing Wisely’s Let’s Clear the Air campaign is to avoid unnecessary treatment and misdiagnosis that can occur without a proper breathing test. To help, the Lung Health Foundation is hosting sessions to explore the why and the how of spirometry testing for the diagnosis of asthma and COPD in primary care. Register here.

  • Bits & Pieces: advancing equity in cancer screening for gender-diverse clients and more

    Bits & Pieces: advancing equity in cancer screening for gender-diverse clients and more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In This Issue  
    • Advancing equity in cancer screening for gender-diverse clients June 17
    • Welcome to Abisola Otepola
    • Reminder- Practical technologies that can enable ageing in place webinar May 19
    • Just a couple weeks left for Election 2022
    • Clinical systems renewal funding guidelines and template
    • National Physiotherapy Month
    • Access to Evusheld, guidance for routine immunization and more
    • Impacts of transitioning cancer survivors to primary care
    • Updates to antimicrobial stewardship program & antimicrobial resistance comparison tool
    • Upcoming events including Inuit Wellness and Prosperity and more

     

    Advancing equity in cancer screening for gender-diverse clients June 17
     

    New, gender-affirming cancer screening guidelines have been developed to support the health and wellbeing of Transgender and Non-Binary clients. These groups often have lower screening rates than their peers due to outreach that misses eligible clients and screening practices that can trigger gender dysphoria.

    We will hear from Ed Kucharski, a family physician who has led this work at Ontario Health and is a physician at SETFHT, about the guidelines and what needs to be in place to enable their use.

    We’ll also hear from two Alliance members who are leaders in care for 2SLGBTQ+ care and members of our 2SLGBTQ+ Health Equity Committee: Celeste Turner, an outreach worker, and Michelle Hurtubise, an executive director, will share their perspectives on how implementing these guidelines will affect health care planning, delivery, and outcomes at the individual and community levels.

    Register here.

    Abisola OtepolaWelcome to Abisola Otepola

    We’re happy to introduce Abisola Otepola, our new Director of Policy and Stakeholder Relations.
    Abisola joins AFHTO from the Ontario Public Service where she worked as a Manager to the Associate Deputy Minister of Health. She also previously worked as a Team Lead with oversight of the funding, policy, and performance of Ontario Health Teams, a population health model designed to end hallway healthcare and build a connected provincial health care system.

    At the Ministry of Health, she led and developed projects from design to scale, including a multi-year plan for scaling bundled care across the province. She brings a strong understanding of integrated care programs and a wealth of experience delivering on complex policy and programs across hospital, community, and primary care settings.

    Welcome Abisola to the team!

    Reminder- Practical technologies that can enable ageing in place webinar May 19
    Dr. Samir Sinha, Director of Geriatrics at Sinai Health and University Health Network (UHN) and Director of Health Policy Research at the National Institute on Ageing (NIA) will be presenting on Practical Technologies that can Enable Ageing in Place on May 19, from 9:00 – 10:00am EDT.

    Presented by Sinai Health, in partnership with the NIA, UHN, and the Primary Care Collaborative, the webinar will aim to give health care professionals a better understanding of:

    • The risks and impacts of at-home medical emergencies
    • Why older Canadians want to age in place, now more than ever
    • Practical technologies that can enable ageing in place

    Register here.

    When it comes to keeping Ontarians healthy, it takes a TEAM

    Just a couple weeks left for Election 2022

    It’s only a couple of weeks until the provincial election on June 2. Healthcare is a top issue for all parties AND the public, so use all the resources available to make your voice heard.

    Share successes, pictures from candidate meetings, or pictures of patients with a voter card on social media. Broadcast what you do to deliver the best primary care in Ontario where It Takes a Team. Thank you to all the teams who have shared so far.

    AFHTO is tweeting regularly. We ask you tag @afhto when you tweet, and we’ll also retweet you! Don’t forget to use our campaign slogan #ItTakesATeam

    If you have any questions, please email advocacy@afhto.ca.

     

    Clinical systems renewal funding guidelines and template

    The FY 2022/23 Clinical Systems Renewal funding guideline and proposal template are now available.

    Interested OHTs, In Development Teams and other health care organizations should contact their OH Region (see below) to plan collaboratively and discuss their questions and the submission process. OH Regions are responsible for facilitating submission development and determining which should be submitted for funding approval.

    For more background see our February ebulletin.

    Scrabble tiles spelling out 'thank you' on a wooden ledge outside.

     

    National Physiotherapy Month

    For National Physiotherapy Month, we’d like to say THANK YOU to the amazing PTs in primary care teams – truly an example of the value that diverse professionals working together provide in healthcare.

     

     

    Access to Evusheld, guidance for routine immunization and more

    Recent updates include:

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

    Refugee Healthline

    The Ministry of Health is supporting newly arriving refugees and people arriving through other exceptional humanitarian authorizations (e.g., Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel) by providing a toll-free, multi-lingual, Refugee HealthLine where they can connect with health care providers who deliver transitional health care and services, including primary care, specialist care, and mental health supports. Find out more here and here.

    Impacts of transitioning cancer survivors to primary care

    Primary care providers are tasked with providing safe and effective follow-up care for many cancer survivors.

    Ontario Health has developed a short survey to better understand your practice, your comfort level providing care to cancer survivors, the challenges you face, and your experiences in providing care for cancer survivors. Their goal is to use the results to develop tools and resources to support you in providing care to survivors and improving patient care across the care continuum.  

    The survey will take about 5-10 minutes to complete, and your input by Friday, June 17th, 2022, would be greatly appreciated. For any questions, please contact Meaghan Wright (Meaghan.Wright@ontariohealth.ca).

    Updates to antimicrobial stewardship program & antimicrobial resistance comparison tool
    Public Health Ontario has updated the Ontario Antimicrobial Stewardship Program (ASP) & Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Comparison Tool to provide more data and increase functionality. It will include recent data on hospital ASPs, updated Antimicrobial Use (AMU) data and trending in Ontario hospitals, and new antimicrobial resistance/antibiogram data for hospital, long-term care, and community settings. For questions or more information contact asp@oahpp.ca.

    Inuit Wellness and Prosperity: The Importance of National Seal Products Day, May 18, 2022

    Hosted by the IPHCC and presented by IPHCC Knowledge Keepers Circle member Vicky auf der Mauer. Find out more here.

    Demystifying Insurance: What Nonprofits Need to Know to Protect their Operations, May 19, 2022
    Free webinar presented by HUB International in partnership with CharityVillage. Register here.

    Quadruple Aim Measures for Ontario Health Teams (Part II), May 24, 2022
    Hosted by HSPN, they will review the approach to provider experience measurement and results from the Couchiching OHT. Register here.

    Clearing the Air on Asthma and COPD: When Undertesting Leads to Overdiagnosis, June 8, 2022
    What are the barriers to pulmonary function testing? And how might clinicians and patients be supported to avoid over-diagnosis and over-treatment? They’ll discuss these questions and more on June’s Choosing Wisely Talks. Register here.

    Spirometry Testing for Diagnosing Asthma and COPD in Primary Care – The Why and the How, June 16, 2022
    The goal of Choosing Wisely’s Let’s Clear the Air campaign is to avoid unnecessary treatment and misdiagnosis that can occur without a proper breathing test. To help, the Lung Health Foundation is hosting sessions to explore the why and the how of spirometry testing for the diagnosis of asthma and COPD in primary care. Register here.

  • Refugee HealthLine: Request for Health Care Providers to Provide Transitional Care for Refugees

    The Ministry of Health (the “ministry”) is supporting newly arriving refugees and people arriving through other exceptional humanitarian authorizations (e.g., Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel) by providing a toll-free, multi-lingual, Refugee HealthLine where they can connect with health care providers who deliver services funded by the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP), the Interim Federal Health Program, or through provincial programs such as transitional health care and services, including but not limited to primary care, specialist care, and mental health supports.

    To help make these connections, the ministry maintains a registry of health care providers who can provide these services for patients. Transitional care includes initial assessment(s), care, and/or referral(s) to other health services.
    All health care providers interested in participating should contact the Refugee HealthLine at 1-866-286-4770 to add their name, contact information, registration type (i.e., individual or clinic), address, service, number of prospective patients they are able to accommodate, length of time they are able to provide transitional care, and language(s) in which the services can be provided.
    Health care provider information will be matched with requesting refugees, people arriving through other exceptional humanitarian authorizations, and sponsor/settlement groups through the Refugee HealthLine.

    For more information, please refer to the Refugee HealthLine Fact Sheet: Request for Health Care Providers to Provide Transitional Care for Refugees found in English and French

    Click here for more information and click here for the French version

  • QI in Action eBulletin #117: Caregiver Well-Being and Supporting Older Adults

    QI in Action eBulletin #117: Caregiver Well-Being and Supporting Older Adults

    In this Issue:

    • Caregiver Well-Being and Achieving Better Health Outcomes
    • Engaging and Supporting Caregivers in Primary Care Teams
    • Transforming Primary Care for Older Canadians Living with Frailty
    • Ontario Fall Prevention Collaborative
    • Upcoming Events

     

    Caregiver Well-Being and Achieving Better Health Outcomes

    Content below developed by the Ontario Caregiver Organization

    Four million caregivers across Ontario provide an estimated 75% of the care in the system, caring for family, friends, and neighbours. Caregivers are critical to our healthcare system. Reducing the risk of caregiver burn-out and supporting caregiver well-being is crucial now, more than ever. In Ontario, Covid-19 has increased caregiver burn-out, and 61% of caregivers find caregiving stressful overall, up from 49% the year before1.

    As Ontario Health Teams strive to transform health care in the province, it is critical that plans for enhanced care delivery include strategies to ensure that caregivers are recognized, included and supported in care delivery.

    There is growing evidence that caregiver well-being is an important factor in achieving the Quadruple Aim of better healthcare outcomes, better patient/caregiver experience, better staff/provider experience, and improved value/efficiencies. Well-supported caregivers are more likely to provider better care.2 Evidence shows that caregiver distress can impact patient clinical and mental health outcomes and that caregiver burnout can lead to patients requiring greater hospital usage.3

    Caregiver distress impacts the health outcomes of caregivers themselves, with evidence pointing to higher rates of stress and depression among caregivers, greater loneliness and caregivers being 16% more likely than non-caregivers to live with 2 or more long-term health conditions.4,5 Organizations and front-line providers are well positioned to engage and partner with caregivers and connect them to support for their own well-being.
    For more information about the impact of COVID-19 on caregivers in Ontario, read the OCO’s Spotlight Report
    ________
    1 Spotlight Report – The Impact of Covid-19 on Caregivers, Ontario Caregiver Organization, November 2021. https://ontariocaregiver.ca/publications/oco-spotlight-report/  
    2 Canada, a Caring Society: Action Table on Family Caregivers Informed dialogue, leading to concrete action for all Canadians NOV 2013 http://www.ccanceraction.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Family-Caregivers-Meeting-Report.pdf   
    3 Shin, J. Y., & Choi, S. W. (2020). Online interventions geared toward increasing resilience and reducing distress in family caregivers. Current opinion in supportive and palliative care, 14(1), 60–66. https://doi.org/10.1097/SPC.0000000000000481
    4 Claire K. Ankuda MD, MPH,Donovan T. Maust MD, MS,Mohammed U. Kabeto MS,Ryan J. McCammon MA,Kenneth M. Langa MD, PhD,Deborah A. Levine MD, MPH (August 2017). Association Between Spousal Caregiver Well-Being and Care Recipient Healthcare Expenditures. https://doi.org/10.1111/jgs.15039    
    5 Public Health England. (March 2021) Caring as a social determinant of health Findings from a rapid review of reviews and analysis of the GP Patient Survey. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/971115/Caring_as_a_social_determinant_report.pdf

     

    Engaging and Supporting Caregivers in Primary Care Teams

    Screenshot of title slide

    Last February we cohosted a webinar with OCO, “Engaging and Supporting Caregivers in Primary Care Teams: Working together to improve outcomes and enhance the patient, caregiver, and family experience”. Visit our site for the video and slide deck.

     

     

     

    Transforming Primary Care for Older Canadians Living with Frailty

    Content below developed by the Geriatric Health Systems Research Group

    Members of the Geriatric Health Systems Research Group (University of Waterloo) collaborated with investigators across Canada to submit a grant to the Canadian Frailty Network. The grant focused on supporting primary care through the implementation of tools to enhance risk screening, shared decision-making, and care coordination for older adults. Situated as the patient’s medical ‘Home’, and supporting older adults throughout the whole care journey, primary care is well positioned to address frailty in a proactive, preventive, coordinated and integrated manner, reaching the most people, as early as possible.

    A key output of this grant is an implementation guide, which supports interested primary care practices with implementation at their site. See here for more information, and the step-by-step implementation guide.

    Correspondence to Dr Paul Stolee: stolee@uwaterloo.ca

    Ontario Fall Prevention Collaborative

    Content below developed by the Ontario Fall Prevention Collaborative

    The Ontario Fall Prevention Collaborative is a diverse group of health and social service practitioners and clinicians from across Ontario who come together to share information, analyze trends, and respond collectively to the need for change and innovation in fall prevention among older adults.

    In Ontario, fall prevention initiatives for older adults vary in their scope, approach, implementation, and measurement of outcomes. The heterogeneous, fragmented nature of fall prevention efforts make it difficult to ascertain what interventions are working, how interventions can be improved and where a greater investment of resources or an increased level of co-ordination and collaboration between key stakeholders is required to maximize impact (Dr. Brian Hyndman, 2018).

    The Collaborative advances excellence in fall prevention practice by carrying out applied research and practice development activities that individual practitioners do not have the time/ capacity to address on their own. The work of the Collaborative aligns with the vision for health care in Ontario by prioritizing fall prevention among older adults and emphasizing integrated approaches.

    Current Work:
    The Collaborative completed the second phase of its work by contributing to a prioritized list of falls indicators led by Public Health Ontario as well as a review of clinical practice guidelines for falls risk screening and assessment including recommendations for action in 2022-2023. This report should be coming in the next few weeks and will be posted on the Public Health Ontario website.

    See here for Environmental Scan of Older Adult Fall Prevention Indicators.
    See here for Screening and Assessment Tools for Falls in Older Adults in Ontario.

     

    Upcoming Events
    Practical Technologies that can Enable Ageing in Place
    May 19 from 9:00-10:00 am

    Dr. Samir Sinha, Director of Geriatrics at Sinai Health, and University Health Network (UHN) and Director of Health Policy Research at the National Institute on Ageing (NIA) will be presenting on Practical Technologies that can Enable Ageing in Place on May 19, from 9:00 – 10:00am EDT. This webinar is presented by Sinai Health, in partnership with the NIA, UHN, and the Primary Care Collaborative.

    The webinar will aim to give health care professionals a better understanding of:

    1. The risks and impacts of at-home medical emergencies
    2. Why older Canadians want to age in place, now more than ever
    3. Practical technologies that can enable ageing in place

    This program has been accredited by the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC) for 1 Mainpro+ credit for those who are interested.
    Register here.

    Transforming Primary Care for Older Adults Living with Frailty
    June 1 from 12:00-1:00 pm

    Investigators from the CFN funded study, “Transforming primary care for older adults living with frailty”, will share key highlights, reflections and developed resources from their implementation work in team-based primary care sites. This national project aimed to improve care for at-risk older adults across Ontario, Quebec and Alberta. The project was designed to address the following areas: consistent risk screening and assessment; care coordination and system navigation; and patient/caregiver engagement and shared decision making.
    Register here.

     

    In Case You Missed It: Check out eBulletin #116 or other back issues here!
    Questions? Comments? Contact us at improve@afhto.ca.

  • Bits & Pieces: nursing week, OAB funding materials and more

    Bits & Pieces: nursing week, OAB funding materials and more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In This Issue  
    • Happy National Nursing Week
    • Online appointment booking 2022/23 funding webinar materials available
    • Election 2022: It Takes a Team
    • Online OHIP renewal finally updated
    • June 2- deadline to implement right to disconnect policy
    • Long COVID: aiming for a consensus and more
    • GoodLife – chance to win a BBQ when you join
    • 2023 OCFP Family Medicine Summit call for abstracts
    • Application for ECHO Ontario Mental Health Summer Programming open
    • Upcoming events including OMA Town Hall on Paxlovid and Evusheld and more

     

    Thank You Nurses with red chocolate hearts and red paper hearts

     

    Happy National Nursing Week
     
    Happy #NationalNursingWeek to all nurses-RNs,RPNs & NPs in  primary care teams. Thank you for you dedication to your patients, communities, and teams. We appreciate you for everything you do.

     

     

    Online appointment booking 2022/23 funding webinar screenshot with points 'why OAB' and 'what is OAB?'

    Online appointment booking 2022/23 funding webinar materials available

    On April 28 Ontario Health provided information and answered questions about the 2022/23 Ministry of Health approved funding for OHTs, in development teams and other health care organizations to enable more patients to schedule an online appointment with their primary care provider or other community care provider. Slides and video are now available on our site.

     

    It Takes A Team. Team-based primary care breaks the silos of healthcare. Below is a circular picture of a smiling Black woman with an Afro in a dark yellow T-shirt. Her circle is surrounded by and slightly overlapping with 4 other circles featuring graphics of different types of healthcare providers.

    Election 2022: It Takes a Team

    Candidates have started campaigning in earnest for the provincial election on June 2. Healthcare is a top issue for all parties AND the public, so use all the resources available to make your voice heard.

    Share successes, pictures from candidate meetings, or pictures of patients with a voter card on social media. Broadcast what you do to deliver the best primary care in Ontario where It Takes a Team.

    AFHTO is tweeting regularly. We ask you tag @afhto when you tweet, and we’ll also retweet you! Don’t forget to use our campaign slogan #ItTakesATeam

    If you have any questions, please email advocacy@afhto.ca.

     

    Online OHIP renewal finally updated

    The change has finally been made! OHIP cards can now be renewed online by anyone with a driver’s license OR an Ontario Photo Card. Advocacy for a fairer system was heard. Patients can renew here.

    June 2- deadline to implement right to disconnect policy

    A reminder that employers, who as of January 1, 2022, had 25+ employees, must implement a right to disconnect policy by June 2, 2022. The policy’s content is up to employers. Resources available from Maria McDonald of McDonald HR Law are:

    Long COVID: aiming for a consensus and more

    Recent updates include:

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

    GoodLife – chance to win a BBQ when you join
    You have a chance to win 1 of 5 Napoleon Rogue 365 BBQs when you enroll in the Corporate Membership Program before June 30, 2022. Find out more here.

    Right now, annual (paid in full) rates are $619 and biweekly rates $25. Effective May 30, 2022, AFHTO members will be eligible for a 25% discount on membership types.

    To take advantage of discounted rates, you need a membership ID assigned by AFHTO. Automatically assigned to those on the ‘Bits & Pieces’ mailing list, these are sent to GoodLife monthly near the end of the month. To get your ID or be put on the list for one, please email info@afhto.ca.

    2023 OCFP Family Medicine Summit call for abstracts

    In 2023, FMS will be presented virtually, including live-stream days on January 27 and 28. Find out more about the application process on their site. Deadline June 12, 2022.

    Application for ECHO Ontario Mental Health Summer Programming open
    The program includes ECHO Ontario Integrated Mental and Physical Health (12 sessions – Fridays from 12:00 – 1:15 p.m. EST, June 3 – August 26, 2022). Apply here.

    Practical technologies that can enable ageing in place webinar May 19

    Dr. Samir Sinha, Director of Geriatrics at Sinai Health and University Health Network (UHN) and Director of Health Policy Research at the National Institute on Ageing (NIA) will be presenting on Practical Technologies that can Enable Ageing in Place on May 19, from 9:00 – 10:00am EDT.

    Register here.

    OMA Town Hall on Paxlovid and Evusheld, May 10, 2022
    The OMA will host an online COVID-19 town hall on Paxlovid and Evusheld on Tuesday, May 10th from 7:30-9:00 p.m. The session will address considerations for prescribing Paxlovid for the treatment of COVID-19 and will provide an overview of Evusheld, a new prophylactic treatment for immunocompromised patients. Register here.

    Back to the Office: Redefining Workplace Wellness in the Post-Covid World, May 17, 2022
    Virtual panel presented by Canadian Club Toronto with OASW CEO Dr. Deepy Sur. Find out more here.

    Demystifying Insurance: What Nonprofits Need to Know to Protect their Operations, May 19, 2022
    Free webinar presented by HUB International in partnership with CharityVillage. Register here.

    3rd Annual McMaster University Review Course in Psychiatry, May 26-27, 2022
    Virtual CPD Conference. Find out more here.

  • Paxlovid Prescription Forms

    Dear Members,

    Partnering For Quality and the eHealth Centre of Excellence have developed resources for PS Suite, Oscar and Accuro to help with Paxlovid prescriptions and referrals. See below for prescription forms and additional resources. 

     

    PS Suite: (Designed by Partnering For Quality)

    1. Download the package: Click here
    2. Unzip the .cfm file to your Desktop
    3. Import the .cfm file into PS Suite

    Oscar: (Developed by eHealth Centre of Excellence)

    1. Download the package: Click here

    2. Import the full .zip package into Oscar

    Accuro: (Designed by Partnering For Quality)

    Found in the global forms list

    Name: Paxlovid Prescription- 04122022- DC

    Publisher: wejerrett

    Date: April 13, 2022

    PDF version: Click here

    For more clinical guidance on prescribing Paxlovid, click here. 

     

    Yours in Good Health,

    The AFHTO Team

  • Prescribing Paxlovid, Fourth Doses and Additional Resources

    Dear Members,

    As COVID-19 hospitalizations and cases continue to rise across the province, the reality of this sixth wave of the pandemic is taking hold with this highly transmissible BA.2 sub-variant of Omicron. Ontario approved fourth doses of the COVID-19 vaccine for those eligible and has now made it possible for physicians and Nurse Practitioners to prescribe Paxlovid that can be dispensed in community pharmacies. As we head into what will be a difficult spring, please see below for some additional resources and updates you may find helpful.

    Prescribing Paxlovid
    An individual with a valid prescription for Paxlovid is eligible to receive publicly funded Paxlovid if they live, work, or study in Ontario or are here for an extended stay. They also need to meet the applicable clinical criteria outlined in the Ontario Health Guidance for providers on access to COVID-19 antiviral treatment.

    An individual is not required to have a valid Ontario health card or be an Ontario Drug Benefit Program recipient to receive publicly funded Paxlovid. Community pharmacies across the province are still onboarding to dispense Paxlovid and you can find which locations already have the antivirals on the Ministry site. Paxlovid is also available at all provincial Clinical Assessment Centres.

    Below are some resources you may find helpful:

    In their President’s Message yesterday, the Ontario College of Family Physicians highlighted key details to keep in mind with the rollout of Paxlovid prescribing, including additional clinical tools that would be helpful in determining patient eligibility for the antivirals.

    Rolling out fourth doses of COVID-19 vaccines
    On April 7th, the Ministry expanded eligibility for fourth doses (second booster dose) of the COVID-19 vaccine to include individuals aged 60 years and over as well as First Nation, Inuit and Métis individuals and their non-Indigenous household members aged 18 and over. Additional considerations include:

    • A fourth dose should be offered to those who received their third dose (first booster dose) five months (140 days) prior. The minimum interval for the fourth dose (second booster dose) is three months (84 days).
    • To maximize the immune response of the vaccine after a COVID-19 infection, it is recommended that individuals wait three months (84 days) after they tested positive, or their symptoms started.
    • At this time, it is not recommended to administer a fifth dose (second booster dose) to immunocompromised people.

    As a reminder, if  you would like to administer vaccines in your clinic so please connect with your PHU operational lead for information if you haven’t yet done so.

    Events
    IPAC Strategies To Ensure A Safe Environment In Primary Care Clinics
    The Primary Care Collaborative has partnered with Public Health Ontario to provide an infection prevention and control (IPAC) information webinar to those working in clinical office settings. In this webinar, practical IPAC strategies for ensuring a safe environment for patients, clinicians, and staff will be reviewed and evidence-based resources will be introduced to support the ongoing development of a complete IPAC program for this practice setting. Such an IPAC program will be responsive to current concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as routine infection risks in the clinical office environment.
    Date & Time: Thursday April 14, 2022 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.
    Speaker: Dr. Jeya Nadarajah, IPAC Physician, Science and Public Health, Public Health Ontario

    Please register here.

    COVID-19 Community of Practice: All About Paxlovid
    The next OCFP/UofT DFCM CoP will be all about Paxlovid.
    Date & Time: Friday, April 22, 2022 from 7:55 a.m. to 9:15 a.m.
    Speakers: Dr. Sohal Goyal, Family Physician, West Mississauga Medical, Dr. Kelly Grindrod, Pharmacist and Associate Professor, University of Waterloo School of Pharmacy and Dr. Andrew Morris, Medical Director, Antimicrobial Stewardship Program, Sinai Health System/University Health Network.

    Please register here.

    Ontario Health Primary Care and COVID-19 Support CoP
    Ontario Health has a monthly series that will run every second Wednesday April to December. Its objectives are:

    • Provide updates on new guidance and initiatives affecting primary care.
    • View presentations and ask questions related to COVID-19 response and recovery initiatives within primary care.
    • Learn from and connect with your peers.

    Please register here.

    Alliance for Healthier Communities
    On April 5, 2022, the Alliance held a webinar on COVID-19 and indoor air quality – how community spaces can reduce transmission using ventilation, filtration, and ultra-violet disinfection. Click here to access the recording.

    New and Updated Resources

    Last week, the Ontario government announced the launching of a suite of supports for Ukrainian families arriving under the Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel. The supports available include Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) coverage. Please find the news release here and additional information on coming to Ontario from Ukraine here.

    The Ministry has developed the guidance document Ukrainians Fleeing War: Early Assessment Considerations for Primary Care Providers. This document is intended to support primary health care providers in their early assessments and care of individuals arriving in Ontario who have been displaced due to the war in Ukraine.

    There is a lot going on and we know you are exhausted. Heading into these ongoing waves is a constant reminder that this virus has no timetable around an end date, and we need to continue to remain vigilant to reduce its spread. Once again thank you for all you are doing to keep your patients and the community safe. If you need any assistance or have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us. Stay safe.
     
    Yours in Good Health,
    The AFHTO Team

  • Bits & Pieces: Happy Nutrition Month and more

    Bits & Pieces: Happy Nutrition Month and more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In This Issue  
    • Happy Nutrition Month
    • Where do we go from here? Understanding the impact of preventive screening backlogs video
    • Implications for primary care with the lifting of COVID measures and more
    • Transitions from youth to adult health care services quality standard
    • OCFP Awards – call for nominations extended to Mar. 20
    • Upcoming events including Ontario Health and Primary Care, MHA CoE, and HCNS, and more

    Unlock the potential of food Ingredients fora healthier tomorrow

     

     

    Happy Nutrition Month

    March is Nutrition Month, and today is Dietitian’s Day. We appreciate our teams’ registered dietitians, their ongoing commitment to teamwork and helping patients create a healthier future. #YourFutureIsHealthy

     

     

     

    Where do we go from here? Understanding the impact of preventive screening backlogs video

    On March 9 Choosing Wisely hosted a talk focused on the impact of screening delays in primary care related to the pandemic as part of their monthly conversation series. You can watch the recording with Drs. David Kaplan and Guylène Thériault here.

    Implications for primary care with the lifting of COVID measures and more

    Recent updates include:

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

    Transitions from youth to adult health care services quality standard

    Ontario Health (Quality) has released the Transitions From Youth to Adult Health Care Services Quality Standard, developed in partnership with the Provincial Council for Maternal and Child Health (PCMCH). If you have any questions, please contact qualitystandards@ontariohealth.ca.

    OCFP Awards – call for nominations extended to Mar. 20
    Nominate your colleagues for an OCFP award. Multiple categories ae open, including regional Family Physician of the Year. New for 2022 – Ontario family physicians can self nominate in any OCFP Award category. Deadline now Mar. 20, 2022.

    Vaccine Hesitancy for People who are Pregnant, Lactating or Planning to Become Pregnant, Mar. 17, 2022

    Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) is collaborating with the Canadian Vaccination Evidence Resource and Exchange Centre (CANVax) for this webinar. Register here.

    COVID Recovery, Mar. 25, 2022

    41st in the series ‘Changing the way we work’ for OCFP’s COVID-19 CoP for Family Physicians. Register here.

    Ontario Health and Primary Care, MHA CoE, and HCNS, April 1

    AFHTO has arranged for an update and conversation with Ontario Health on its role in supporting primary care, the work being led through the Mental Health and Addictions Centre of Excellence (MHA CoE), and the vision for OH’s Healthcare Navigation Service (HCNS). Register here.

    COVID-19 and indoor air quality – how community spaces can reduce transmission using ventilation, filtration, and ultra-violet disinfection

    Hosted by the Alliance and IPHCC, this April 5 webinar features two experts in indoor air quality from the University of Toronto. Want to get started now? Dr. Siegel and Dr. Li have shared five great things you can do to improve air quality and reduce airborne transmission of COVID-19.

    Your Voice is Important: Election Campaign Training with Enterprise Canada, Apr. 6, 2022

    The provincial election is just over three months away. Now is the time for local candidates to hear from you!

    If you have any questions or need support, please email advocacy@afhto.ca.

    Diabetes Care: Tools and Resources to Support Mental Health Needs, Apr. 8, 2022
    Hosted by Ontario Health and moderated by Dr. David Kaplan. Find out more here.

  • Bits & Pieces: resilient communities fund and more

    Bits & Pieces: resilient communities fund and more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In This Issue  
    • OTF Resilient Communities Fund deadline April 6
    • Happy Pharmacy Appreciation Month
    • Recommended drugs for adults with COVID-19 and more
    • Cannabis and older adults – coming soon
    • OCFP Awards – call for nominations
    • Benefits wayfinder
    • Upcoming events including “From pandemic to endemic? What’s next with COVID”, and more

    OTF Resilient Communities Fund deadline April 6

    While AFHTO members may not be solely eligible, they can work with community partners to apply for the Ontario Trillium Foundation’s Resilient Communities Fund. The fund supports the recovery efforts of organizations impacted by COVID-19 and helps them respond with immediate, medium, and longer-term recovery projects.

    • Applicants can apply for a minimum of $10,000, and up to $200,000, with a maximum of $100,000 per year.
    • Application period is from March 9 until April 6, 2022, at 5 PM ET.

    You can find out more and register for overview webinars here.

    (NOTE: as per the OTF – they do not fund organizations that receive the majority of their funding through the public purse but they would welcome applications through the Collaborative Applicants Policy).

    Pharmacist in glasses, mask, hijab and gloves injects masked female patient in her right arm

     

    Happy Pharmacy Appreciation Month

    March is Pharmacy Appreciation Month, so we’d like to thank all our teams’ pharmacists for stepping up, during the pandemic, before, and beyond. Happy Pharmacist appreciation month!

     

    Recommended drugs for adults with COVID-19 and more

    Recent updates include:

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

    Cannabis and older adults asynchronous learning- 11 individually accredited modules

    Cannabis and older adults – coming soon

    Canadian Coalition for Seniors’ Mental Health has been developing several eLearning modules on Cannabis and Older Adults. The English version will be ready for launch very soon. Geared specifically to physicians, nurse practitioners, other healthcare providers and healthcare students, information on how to register will be made available when the modules officially launch. You can follow them on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to stay updated on the latest developments. 

    OCFP Awards – call for nominations

    Nominate your colleagues for an OCFP award. Multiple categories ae open, including regional Family Physician of the Year. New for 2022 – Ontario family physicians can self nominate in any OCFP Award category. Deadline Mar. 13, 2022.

    Benefits wayfinder
    Benefits wayfinder is an online tool that simplifies the search for government benefits for people seeking ways to boost their incomes and/or reduce their expenses. Created by Prosper Canada, primary care providers can do a free online course to help them support patients here. If you have questions, please email benefitswayfinder@prospercanada.org. 

    Supporting caregiver well-being within Ontario Health Teams: Building caregiver resilience and reducing the risk of caregiver burnout, Mar. 2, 2022
    Hosted by Ontario Caregiver Organization. Register here

    From pandemic to endemic? What’s next with COVID, Mar. 4, 2022

    Join the 40th in OCFP CoP’s series ‘Changing the way we work’. Register here.

    Your Voice is Important: Election Campaign Training with Enterprise Canada, Apr. 6, 2022

    The provincial election is just over three months away. Now is the time for local candidates to hear from you!

    If you have any questions or need support, please email advocacy@afhto.ca.

    Safe Administration of Oxytocin, Mar. 7, 2022
    Relaunched report, developed by the Provincial Council for Maternal and Child Health available here. You can register for the webinar here.

    Primary Care COVID-19 Support CoP, Mar. 9, 2022
    Hosted by Ontario Health, with a special focus on COVID@Home monitoring and Post COVID-19 Clinical Guidance for primary care. Register here.

    Winter/Spring 2022 Continuing Professional Development, until June 2022
    Some changes have been made to session dates for Queen’s Faculty of Health Sciences’ Continuing Professional Development program to allow them to host many programs in-person. View options here.