Ultimate Blogging Championship

Tag: Care for Specific Populations

  • Bits & Pieces: member stories, rheumatology in primary care and more

    Bits & Pieces: member stories, rheumatology in primary care and more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In This Issue  
    • Member stories
    • Rheumatology in primary care: approach to the patient with peripheral joint pain
    • It’s election time! please register for AFHTO’s member consultation forum
    • AFHTO partnering with 19 to Zero
    • Maintaining immunizations for school-age children during Covid-19 and more
    • Merging Quorum groups: Primary Care and COVID-19 Support CoP and register for next meeting
    • Seeking couples for online self-help intervention study
    • Call for applications now open – TUTOR-PHC 2022-2023
    • Upcoming events regarding tapering and stopping opioids and more

     

    Member stories

    Bruyère Academic FHT – Bruyère Academic FHT – Leaders in Vaccine Efforts

    Central Brampton FHT- Central Brampton FHT QIDSS recognized by OntarioMD

    Central Hastings FHT- Gilmour medical clinic reopens Oct. 5

    North Perth FHT- Mary Atkinson discusses COVID-19 vaccine myths, medical exemptions

    Rheumatology in primary care: approach to the patient with peripheral joint pain

    We’ve updated the name of our Oct. 14 webinar to more accurately reflect the content. This presentation provides an overarching schema of rheumatic diseases, with a focus on types and patterns of articular involvement, and extraarticular and serologic correlates. By the end of the presentation, participants will be able to apply this schema when approaching common rheumatic disease presentations. Find out more and register here.

    It’s election time! please register for AFHTO’s member consultation forum

    The 2022 provincial election is fast approaching, and we need to hear from you! We’re asking all members from teams – physicians, nurse practitioners, executive directors/admin leads, board members, IHPs, QIDSS, and administrative staff – to join our member consultation forum with our government relations firm, Enterprise Canada, on Tuesday, November 16, from 12 PM to 1:30 PM.

    We look forward to this consultation on our proposed election messaging and material. Every member is key in ensuring the importance of team-based primary care in communities is understood, and there is no better time to do this than during health system restructuring – and in the lead up to an election. Please click here for more information and to register!

    AFHTO partnering with 19 to Zero

    AFHTO has partnered with 19 to Zero to help address vaccine hesitancy and to support healthcare workers. 19 to Zero is a dedicated coalition of academics, public health experts, behavioural economists, and creative professionals working to understand, engage with, and ultimately shift public perceptions around COVID-19 behaviours and vaccination. 19 to Zero uses data- and research-informed approaches to support communities and healthcare workers across Canada.

    They have launched public health campaigns, produced, and disseminated tailored resources, translated fact sheets, developed practice change toolkits, and much more! Teams can check out their tools and get more information here!

    Maintaining immunizations for school-age children during Covid-19 and more

    Recent updates include:

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

    Merging Quorum groups: Primary Care and COVID-19 Support CoP and register for next meeting

    Ontario Health is merging the “COVID@Home Monitoring for Primary Care” and the “Primary Care Vaccination Support QI CoP” into one new community of practice.  The new group, Primary Care  and COVID-19 Community of Practice will provide one location to ask questions, find resources and share lessons learned.

    There was substantial overlap in membership between these two groups and OH recognizes that primary care is being pulled in several directions currently. Merging the CoP’s will provide one location for members to share resources, grab information or ask questions and will allow them to be responsive to memberships overall needs.

    Any existing member of either group is automatically a member. Simply log into Quorum as you normally would to access this group. The next CoP meeting for this merged group is on Wednesday, October 13th, 2021, from 8:00 am to 9:00 am where you will learn about monitoring pediatric patients who have tested positive for COVID-19 and discuss other COVID-19 related issues affecting primary care. Register here.

    Couple Hopes Flyer

     

     

    Seeking couples for online self-help intervention study

    Researchers from Ryerson and York University are seeking eligible couples for a study testing an online, self-help intervention that improves PTSD symptoms and enhance relationships, Couple HOPES, as profiled in our webinar earlier this year. Find out more here.

     

     

     

     

     

    Call for applications now open – TUTOR-PHC 2022-2023
    Transdisciplinary Understanding and Training on Research – Primary Health Care (TUTOR-PHC), is a one-year, pan-Canadian interdisciplinary research capacity building program that has been training primary and integrated health care researchers, clinicians and decision-makers from family medicine, nursing, psychology, epidemiology, social work, occupational therapy, education, policy, and many other disciplines since 2003.  For more information, please visit the website or contact the TUTOR-PHC Project Coordinator at tutor@uwo.ca if you are interested in applying. The deadline to apply is December 6, 2021.

    Public Health 2021 Program, Oct. 6-8, 2021
    Hosted by the Canadian Public Health Association. Find out more.

    Trillium Primary Health Care Research Day, Oct. 15, 2021
    One day provincial meeting of researchers, policy makers, patients, and clinicians interested in primary health care research in Ontario. Register for free here.

    Tapering and Stopping Opioids, Oct. 19, 2021

    Co-hosted with ECHO Ontario Chronic Pain and Opioid Stewardship (UHN). Register here.

    AFHTO 2021 Conference, Oct. 27-28, 2021
    Post-Pandemic Primary Care: Respond, Recover, Rebuild. Members get a significant discount on the registration fee. Find out more here.

  • Bits & Pieces: join our IHP Advisory Council, social media panel update and more

    Bits & Pieces: join our IHP Advisory Council, social media panel update and more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In This Issue  
    • Join our IHP Advisory Council!
    • National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on September 30th
    • AFHTO 2021 Conference: less than a month to early bird deadline & social media panel update
    • Cancer screening digital toolkit
    • Medical exemption resource, impact in Australia and more
    • Seeking female patients’ input on technology-based care
    • Free online CPD course – safer, more inclusive STBBI care
    • Providing Excellent Care for Older Persons During the Pandemic and Beyond, Nov. 5, 2021
    • Infectious Disease Emergency Leave update
    • Upcoming events regarding using antibiotics wisely and more

    Join our IHP Advisory Council!

    There are two openings on AFHTO’s IHP Advisory Council, and we invite all AFHTO-member IHPs to apply for a two-year term!

    This council was established in May 2018 to provide input on team-based care matters related to IHP issues; to give advice and input to the AFHTO board, staff, and leadership council; and to foster leadership across the IHP community within team-based models of care. More information on the council is here.
     
    Interested members are asked to complete this application by Friday, October 29, 2021. Any questions, please contact Beth MacKinnon.

    National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on September 30th

    As you know, the federal government has introduced a new statutory holiday on September 30th called the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. The day is intended to be a time for Canadians to spread awareness of and reflect on the tragedies experienced by Indigenous people as a result of the country’s former residential school system. It is also meant to commemorate the intergenerational harm these schools have caused to Indigenous families and communities, honoring those who have been affected by this injustice. Read more here.

    AFHTO 2021 small logo

    AFHTO 2021 Conference: less than a month to early bird deadline & social media panel update

    There is less than a month to our early bird deadline, Oct. 20, 2021. Register today (member access code provided to team leadership- contact them to get your discount).

    The Power of Social Media during COVID
    The Information Age started in the 20th century, but the misinformation age exploded with social media. Before COVID, we marvelled at how fast it could connect people across the globe, unite them in common cause and help bring important issues into the light. We also saw how easily it could be used to sow discord about even benign topics. Learn more about this session and our speakers.

    Cancer screening digital toolkit
    As previously shared, Ontario Health has developed cancer screening resources to help support you and your patients to get caught up on cancer screening tests during COVID-19. While orders for printed materials have now ended, the digital cancer screening awareness toolkit is now available here. All materials are available in English and French, and select materials are available in additional languages, including Indigenous languages. While some resources have been developed for Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Cervical Cancer Awareness Week and Colon Cancer Awareness Month, they can be used at any time.  

    Please feel free to use them when sharing information about cancer screening with your patients. Please do not share this link to a public audience (e.g., patients), but rather share only the resources themselves if you wish to use them in your practice.

    If you ordered printed products you can expect to receive them by early October. If you have any questions, please reach out to Ontario Health at primarycareinquiries@ontariohealth.ca.

    Medical exemption resource, impact in Australia and more

    Recent updates include:

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

    Seeking female patients’ input on technology-based care

    HeLTI Canada is a collaboration between researchers in Canada, China, India, and South Africa, and the World Health Organization (WHO). The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether a technology-based type of care can improve the health of families in the preconception phase, during pregnancy, and into early childhood and prevent the development of chronic diseases.

    HeLTI is currently recruiting women living in the GTA, Hamilton, Niagara, and Ottawa, who have no children; have one child between 0-12 months of age; or have 2 children and youngest child is between 0-12 months of age and are planning a pregnancy within the next 3 years.

    Please visit www.helticanada.com for more information. If you have any questions or concerns, please email helticanada@smh.ca.

    Free online CPD course – safer, more inclusive STBBI care

    The Canadian Public Health Association recently launched Provide safer, more inclusive care for sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections – a free online continuing professional development (CPD) course.

    Intended for family physicians and other clinical care providers, this modular course explores the stigma and discrimination often encountered by patients seeking treatment for sexual health, substance use or STBBIs. It can be completed in less than 4 hours, in your own time, and is designed to increase the comfort levels of care providers and the satisfaction and health outcomes of patients.

    Providing Excellent Care for Older Persons During the Pandemic and Beyond, Nov. 5, 2021
    Content provided by Sinai Health and University Health Network and Dr. Samir K. Sinha (edited for length)

    Please join Sinai Health and UHN at their 9th Annual CME Course which has been designed to provide primary care providers with the latest practical and evidence-based knowledge for delivering geriatric care. Their CME course has been accredited by the College of Family Physicians of Canada for up to 5.0 Mainpro+ credits. This year’s edition is titled “Providing Excellent Care for Older Persons During the Pandemic and Beyond” and will take place on Friday November 5th, from 8:30 AM – 3:30 PM EST.

    This program will be delivered virtually. All sessions will be recorded and available to paid registrants. For further information, please visit the website. View the Agenda Here.

    Infectious Disease Emergency Leave update
    The Infectious Disease Emergency Leave (“IDEL”) provisions of the Ontario Employment Standards Act, 2000 have been extended to December 31, 2021. They were previously set to expire on September 25, 2021. More information here.

    Are We Using Antibiotics Wisely in Primary Care in the Era of COVID-19? Oct. 6, 2021
    Choosing Wisely Talks will reflect on what we’ve learned about antibiotics and over-prescribing, a long-standing issue of global significance. Find out more.

    Expanding your differential diagnosis, Oct. 14
    Co-hosted with ECHO Ontario at UHN, this presentation provides an overarching schema of rheumatic diseases. Find out more and register here

    Public Health 2021 Program, Oct. 6-8, 2021
    Hosted by the Canadian Public Health Association. Find out more.

    Tapering and Stopping Opioids, Oct. 19, 2021
    Co-hosted with ECHO Ontario Chronic Pain and Opioid Stewardship (UHN). Register here.

    AFHTO 2021 Conference, Oct. 27-28, 2021
    Post-Pandemic Primary Care: Respond, Recover, Rebuild. Members get a significant discount on the registration fee. Find out more here.

  • National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on September 30th

    Dear Members,

    As you know, the federal government has introduced a new statutory holiday on September 30th called the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. The day is intended to be a time for Canadians to spread awareness of and reflect on the tragedies experienced by Indigenous people as a result of the country’s former residential school system. It is also meant to commemorate the intergenerational harm these schools have caused to Indigenous families and communities, honoring those who have been affected by this injustice.  

    To date, it has not been added to Ontario’s list of public holidays under the Employment Standards Act  but as a federal holiday, you will see federally regulated private and public sectors like most federal Crown corporations (e.g. Canada Post), national banks, federal public service and Parliament (like the Senate, House of Commons) close on that day as they commemorate this very important day of reflection.

    September 30th is also Orange Shirt Day, an opportunity to create meaningful discussion around the effect of Residential Schools and the legacy they left behind. #EveryChildMatters should not only be a hashtag on social media but it should be a constant reminder that the truth about what took place in residential schools is only starting to be discussed publicly. There is more to do and a lot more to learn. On September 30th, consider wearing an orange shirt and ensure you are buying directly from Indigenous businesses. To learn more about Orange Shirt Day visit https://www.orangeshirtday.org/.  

    As the health care sector, the horrors we have seen over the past year related to the recovery of the remains of children at Residential Schools is a stark reminder that our system is built on and benefits from colonialism. Increasing awareness of both historical context and connections to the current environments and conditions that Indigenous peoples face in health care is an essential foundational step in moving forward together, and to ensuring that the voices of Indigenous peoples are heard.

    AFHTO, along with our partners on the Primary Care Collaborative, remain committed to our own journey of Truth and Reconciliation and will be undergoing training by completing the Indigenous Cultural Safety (ICS) Program offered by the Indigenous Primary Health Care Council.

    This program will better help us understand our roles as individuals in supporting primary care providers to decolonize health care, and will be grounding for ongoing future policy work, leading toward a path where we can finally prioritize health, safety, and happier lives for Indigenous communities.

    If you have not yet done so, we encourage your team to make a commitment to learn and take action by reflecting and starting your own journey towards Truth and Reconciliation. Here are some tools and resources to help you get started:

    We know many of you are undergoing your own learning and we would love to hear what you are doing so we can share your collective wisdom. Together with our allies, we will continue to listen, learn, grow, and do better. We look forward to this journey with our partners, our members, and our communities.

    Thank you,

    Your AFHTO Team

  • QI in Action eBulletin #111: Webinars Repository, COVID-19 third dose, Provider Experience Research & Quality Standard Placemat

    QI in Action eBulletin #111: Webinars Repository, COVID-19 third dose, Provider Experience Research & Quality Standard Placemat

    In this Issue:

    • AFHTO Knowledge Translation & Exchange Webinars Repository Now Available
    • New COVID-19 third dose vaccine eligibility search
    • Seeking pharmacists’ input on experiences and contributions to mental health care during COVID-19
    • Quality Standard Placemat
    • Upcoming Webinars

    AFHTO Knowledge Translation & Exchange Webinars Repository Now Available

    Throughout the year, AFHTO and our partners have continuously provided knowledge translation & exchange webinars on various topics. We continue to support this work on timely and requested topics. To help streamline the process of signing up for upcoming webinars and accessing previous webinars, please refer to this page for a complete list.

    Here is a list of webinars hosted throughout the year – please click the topic area to be taken directly to the webinar recording and if available, supplementary materials:

    Now Available: New COVID-19 third dose vaccine eligibility search

    COVID-19 vaccine eligibility search

    Although two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine provide strong protection against the virus, a third dose may be required for those patients with an increased risk of infection. On August 17, the province released a list of vulnerable populations who are eligible for a third dose, which include transplant recipients, patients with hematological cancers, recipients of an anti-CD20 agent and more. Please note, as eligibility broadens such as the new guidance on September 14th, 2021 eCE is working on assessing changes and aligning efforts. Thus, this query is only up to date to the August 17th eligibility criteria.

    The eHealth Centre of Excellence’s newest EMR vaccine eligibility search will help primary care providers to quickly identify patients from their ambulatory roster who may be eligible.

    You can access the search (for TELUS PS Suite) by downloading it directly from the eHealth Centre of Excellence community portal. More information about COVID-19 Vaccination Support tools offered by the eHealth Centre of Excellence can be found here.

    Note: This search will also be available for OSCAR and Accuro EMRs soon.

    Seeking pharmacists’ input on experiences and contributions to mental health care during COVID-19
    If you are a primary care pharmacist, University of Toronto researchers want to hear from you! Their study seeks to examine primary care team pharmacist contributions to patient mental health care and understand pharmacists’ experiences with collaboration during the COVID-19 pandemic. The 15 to 20 min survey includes a mix of multiple choice and open response questions.

    This study from the University of Toronto is co-led by Dr. Rachelle Ashcroft, Assistant Professor at the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, and Dr. Lisa Dolovich, Professor & Dean at the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy.

    To take the survey, please click on this link: https://bit.ly/SplPharm.

    Quality Standard Placemat
    Content below developed by Ontario Health (Health Quality Ontario)

    Reminder: We want your input on the quality standard placemats!

    Ontario Health has recently developed a tool called the Quality Standard (QS) Placemat that is a resource for primary care providers. The placemat highlights key elements of care for a condition and is an evidence-based, quick-reference tool that concisely summarizes key information from the quality standard and includes links to resources and tools.

    OH is  looking for clinicians willing to review and use any of the QS Placemats for approximately 2 weeks. After that they would then like you to complete a short survey (link below) that will give you the opportunity to provide feedback on the usefulness of the tool.

    If you or one of your colleagues be willing to help us test and provide feedback on the Quality Standard placemats, please complete the following survey by clicking on the link below. OH would appreciate it if you can complete the survey by September 30th, 2021.

    Currently, there are seven quality standard placemats available:

    Survey Link: https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/6387602/Quality-Standards-Placemat-Evaluation

    If you are interested in participating or have any questions, please email Jorge Ginieniewicz at: jorge.ginieniewicz@ontariohealth.ca

    Upcoming Webinars:

    In Case You Missed It: Check out eBulletin #110 or other back issues here!
    Questions? Comments? Contact us at improve@afhto.ca.

  • Aug. 24 Update on COVID Vaccines and Resources

    Dear Members,

    Like many of you we share the collective disbelief that we are in Wave 4 of the pandemic, with numbers increasing daily and back to school being just around the corner. We know how tired you are but despite that exhaustion, you are and have always been there for your patients and community.

    Thank you again for all you do day in and day out, especially during these unprecedented and challenging times. Please find below some additional resources and supports you may find helpful.

    As primary care continues to ramp up in-person care, the Ministry of Health released updated primary care guidance and the CPSO provided new information on striking the right balance between providing in-person care and virtual care.  

    These individual decisions should be made by each provider and team and these resources may help in your decision-making.  The OCFP’s Considerations for In-Person and Virtual Care document has also been updated and we are waiting for additional clinical decision-making tools on striking the right balance between in-person and virtual care which we will share once it becomes available.

    As announced on August 17th, the Ministry will begin to offer third doses to the most vulnerable Ontarians including those in high-risk congregate settings and those that are immunocompromised – you can read more about that announcement here*. To help with identifying those eligible for third doses, the eHealth Centre of Excellence (eCE) is currently developing the queries for PS Suites, Oscar and Accuro – more details to follow.

    Let’s get closer to 100% – Every health care team member, every patient, every encounter
    In collaboration with all health sector partners, the OMA has supported the development of some messaging to encourage every health care visit include a discussion around vaccines. Whether the visit is in-person or virtual, health professionals and teams can be powerful influencers when it comes to vaccine acceptance. At check-in, during the encounter, or at the end – just the act of asking about vaccine status makes a difference:

    1. Ask: “Have you had a chance to get the COVID-19 vaccine yet?” Every health care team member, every patient, every encounter.
    2. Share: “I got the vaccine. I helped my friends and family to get it too”. Listen to your patients’ concerns, share your personal experiences of vaccination, your knowledge about the vaccines, and your hope for an optimistic Canada once more of us are vaccinated. If you are comfortable doing so, tell the patient why you think a vaccine is a good decision for them.
    3. Connect: “This is where you can get a vaccine.” Know where vaccines are being offered locally (e.g., your team, other primary care clinics, pharmacy, mass clinics, pop up clinics) and point your patients there.

    By making this concerted push now, we can limit the effects of the fourth wave this fall, one patient at a time. To help support those opportunistic vaccine visits, please see the attached memo from the Chief Medical Officer of Health (Dr. Kieran Moore) and the Chair of the COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Task Force (Dr. Homer Tien) on managing those unused vaccine doses vials.

    As in other jurisdictions, there are early indicators of slowing vaccination rates for the 12-17 age group. There appears to be a variety of reasons for increasing hesitancy, but the main rationale is the perceived safety of vaccines, including:

    • Concerns from parents about what the long-term effects of a new vaccine will be on their children; and
    • Concerns about the evolving reports of adverse health events resulting from vaccine administration, including myocarditis.

    Here are some key messages to use in your conversations about the vaccines with children/youth:  

    • All vaccines provided in Ontario provide strong protection against COVID-19 and its variants.
    • Health Canada approved vaccines are conveniently available at hospitals, doctors’ offices, pharmacies, and mass vaccination sites.
    • Vaccinating as many people as possible is the most important thing we can do to protect against COVID-19 and help us all get back to normal life as soon as possible.
    • Every dose brings us closer to what we’ve missed.
    • Vaccines are the best way to protect your child and your family from COVID-19, including highly contagious variants.
    • The faster everyone gets vaccinated, the sooner we can all safely resume doing the things we’ve missed.
    • When you and your kids 12 and over get vaccinated, it helps protect other family members too, such as those under 12 who can’t get vaccinated yet, or older individuals who may have a lower immune response to the vaccines.
    • Ensuring youth 12-17 are vaccinated means getting them back to class, to sports, to band practice, and to being kids again.

    Resources for patients:

    Resources for health care providers:

    COVID@Home
    Ontario Health will be hosting its next COVID@Home CoP on September 8th at 8:00 a.m. They will share their thoughts on the QI evaluation to date, review any new or emerging evidence and discuss the group needs moving forward. Please click here to register or see attached flyer for more details.

    If you are a clinician or staff who participated in the implementation of, or patient care for, the COVID@Home initiative OH would be grateful to hear about your or your patients’ experiences. Please fill in this survey link or contact Julie Datta (dattaj1@mcmaster.ca) to participate.

    Additional Resources you may find helpful:  

    We look forward to continually updating you on the provincial vaccination strategy and hope you continue to stay safe. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or ideas.

    Yours in good health,
    The AFHTO Team

    *Please note that the news release also speaks to mandatory vaccination policies for high-risk health care settings. At the moment this is limited to hospitals, home and community care and paramedic services. To help support our teams with their policies, we have invited EDs, Admin Leads, lead MDs/NPs and board chairs to a webinar with an HR lawyer to address your questions. If this is relevant to your role, please discuss your participation with your leadership. If you are part of the triad mentioned above and have not received the registration email, please contact us and we will send the information to you.

     

  • Bits & Pieces: tapering opioids, Bright Lights and more

    Bits & Pieces: tapering opioids, Bright Lights and more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In This Issue  
    • Tapering and stopping opioids, Oct. 19
    • AFHTO Bright Lights Awards – nominations now open
    • Updates on aggregate primary care vaccination reports and more
    • Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) changes
    • Seeking input from healthcare professionals who provide nutrition information and advice  
    • Upcoming events regarding asthma and more

    Tapering and stopping opioids, Oct. 19

    Cohosted with ECHO Ontario Chronic Pain and Opioid Stewardship (UHN).

    There is evidence that chronic opioid therapy has a negative impact on patients’ quality of life and increasing the risk of serious complications like opioid use disorder, unintentional overdose, and death.

    Tapering opioids can be challenging to the prescriber and to the patient, and there is not a lot of guidance on how to do it safely, comfortably, and effectively. In this webinar, Dr. Furlan will summarize the 10 years of experience of the pain clinic at Toronto Rehab UHN where she works with an interprofessional team to help patients come off long term opioid therapy for chronic non-cancer pain. Find out more and register here.

    AFHTO Bright Lights Awards – nominations now open

    Bright Lights logo

    Shine a light on your team’s achievements. Nominate an outstanding team or individual for a “Bright Lights” Award by August 27, 2021. Five awards will be presented this year:

    1. Demonstrating a community response to COVID-19
    2. Small, rural, and Northern teams that have taken care of their communities during COVID-19
    3. Local-level research
    4. Reducing unnecessary care *
    5. Integrated care for older adults living with complex health conditions**

    * Education grant will be given to the award recipient in this category above thanks to the generous donations of our sponsor Choosing Wisely Canada.
     
    ** Education grant will be given to the award recipient in this category above thanks to the generous donations of our sponsor Provincial Geriatrics Leadership Ontario.

    Find out more here.

    And don’t forget- for the first time ever, the AFHTO board invites all members to help them select the recipient of a Board award. Submit a nomination online for the Board Award category by August 20, 2021.

    Find out more about the criteria here. You can find the nomination template here.

    Updates on aggregate primary care vaccination reports and more

    Recent updates include:

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

    Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) changes

    The Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services has revised the Disability Determination Package (DDP) for Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) applicants and developed a new Medical Review Package (MRP) Self Report for recipients.

    The objective is to improve the ODSP adjudication process by introducing updated forms which will be easier for health care professionals (HCPs) and ODSP applicants and recipients to complete. Relevant documents include:

    Seeking input from healthcare professionals who provide nutrition information and advice 

    Laval University researchers would like to assess training and education among Canadian healthcare professionals who provide nutrition information and advice in their clinical practice.
     
    Participants are asked to complete a short online survey of 14 questions, which takes about 10 minutes to complete. The survey can be accessed here. Anyone who chooses to participate can provide their email address at the end of the survey (optional), for a chance to win one of three $50 grocery store gift cards. If you have any questions/concerns, please email justine.horne.1@ulaval.ca.

    OHT Virtual Engagement Series: collaborative Quality Improvement Plans, Aug. 11, 2021

    Hosted by the Ministry and Ontario health, this Information Session will be focused on the development and planning of collaborative Quality Improvement Plans (cQIPs). Find out more.

    Applying the Ontario Health Asthma Quality Standards for Children and Adolescents in your practice, August 12, 2021
    Hosted by Ontario Health and the Lung Health Foundation. Find out more here.

    Pandemic Recovery and Chronic Disease Management: Primary Care for Adults with Asthma, August 19, 2021
    Hosted by Ontario Health and the Lung Health Foundation. Find out more here.

    NPAO 2021 Virtual Annual Conference, Sep. 23-24, 2021
    This years’ Conference theme is Nurse Practitioner: Innovative Influencers of Health and Wellness. Find out more.

    OMD Digital Health and Virtual Care Day, Sep. 30, 2021
    This virtual day will focus on leveraging digital health and virtual care tools to complement the in-person delivery of patient care. Find out more here.

  • QI in Action eBulletin #110: COVID-19 Vaccination Reports, Cancer Screening Summary and Quality Standard Placemat

    QI in Action eBulletin #110: COVID-19 Vaccination Reports, Cancer Screening Summary and Quality Standard Placemat

    In this Issue:

    • COVID-19 Vaccination Reports
    • Resuming Cancer Screening During COVID-19
    • Quality Standard Placemat
    • Share your Thoughts on Addressing Patients’ Mental Health Needs as a Pharmacist
    • Upcoming Webinars

    COVID-19 Vaccination Reports
    Currently COVID-19 Vaccination Reports are available to Primary Care Providers in a few ways that are summarized below:

    • Health Report Manager (HRM®):
      • As of May 18, 2021, and onwards, physicians/NPs with access to HRM will receive HRM notifications with vaccination reports for patients for whom the Primary Care Provider (PCP) field was entered in at the time of vaccination. At the moment reports prior to May 18, 2021, will not be sent to the EMRs via HRM but work is being done to capture earlier vaccinations through HRM.
      • As of July 22, 2021, COVID-19 vaccination reports from the provincial COVaxON system are being enhanced with data from the Ministry of Health’s CAPE (Client Agency Program Enrolment) database to match patients to family physicians who practice in a Patient Enrollment Model (PEM). Patients are not always asked to identify their family physician for entry into COVaxON so the addition of CAPE data enables more reports to reach family physicians. If you practice in a PEM, you will now receive many more vaccination reports via HRM. The next improvement OntarioMD (OMD) is working on is a solution to send historical COVID-19 vaccination reports to family physicians.
      • To automate the process of entering these HRM reports into the immunization list of patients, eCE has created a Robotic Process Automation (RPA) (aka bot), which is currently compatible with the Telus PSS EMR. The bot is currently being offered at no cost and with supports from eCE. eCE will run the bot for you so no additional administrative supports will be required on your end. To see a demo of the bot in action, click here. To request more information or express interest in adding this bot to your workflow, please click here.
    • COVaxON Aggregate Primary Care Vaccination Reports              
      • As of July 15, 2021, PEM physicians/clinicians with access to ONEID have access to aggregate eReports from the same portal as the Cancer SAR reports to download a complete list of patients vaccinated up to July 15, 2021. After this date, the report will be updated on a monthly basis.
      • EMR-eReport Patient Vaccination Reconciliation Toolkit were designed to be used with the Ontario Health’s COVaxON Aggregate Primary Care Vaccination Report and are designed for Microsoft Excel, Open Office, and Mac Numbers. These toolkits are designed for TELUS PSS, QHR Accuro and OSCAR EMRs. An FAQ on the aggregate reports can be found here. In addition, an information session slide deck and FAQ document can be found here.
      • Please note, a ONE-ID is required to access these reports. For instructions on completing a ONE® ID self-registration, refer to the ONE® ID CPSO Registration Guide. To assign a delegate further information can be found in the FAQ document here.
    • Clinical Viewers (ConnectingOntario ClinicalViewer and Clinical Connect):
      • These reports are available for physicians/clinicians for any time period, however on a per patient basis. For step by step instructions on how to access ClinicalViewers please refer to this reference document.
    • COVaxON:
      • For physicians/clinicians with access to COVaxON, patients can be queried on a per patient basis to inquire on vaccination status.

    For more information and updates on COVID-19 Vaccination Reports, please refer to the OMD page here.

    Resuming Cancer Screening During COVID-19

    Missed the last ebulletin? Ontario Health (Cancer Care Ontario) has created a summary page for your reference on the resumption of cancer screening during the pandemic.

    Content below developed by Ontario Health (Health Quality Ontario)

    Quality Standard Placemat

    Ontario Health wants your input on the quality standard placemats!

    Ontario Health has recently developed a tool called the Quality Standard (QS) Placemat that is a resource for primary care practitioners. The placemat highlights key elements of care for a condition and is an evidence-based, quick-reference tool that concisely summarizes key information from the quality standard and includes links to resources and tools. To facilitate use at point of care, the placemat can be uploaded and used within EMRs for easy access. We have developed step-by-step user guides to help you add the QS placemats into Accuro, PS Suite and OSCAR EMR systems.

    They are looking for clinicians willing to review and use any of the QS Placemats for approximately 2 weeks. After that they would like you to complete a short survey (link below) that will give you the opportunity to provide feedback on the usefulness of the tool.

    Currently, there are seven quality standard placemats available:

    Would you or one of your colleagues be willing to help them test and provide feedback on the placemats?

    If so, please complete the following survey by clicking on the link below.  They would appreciate it if you can complete the survey by August 25th, 2021.

    Survey Link: https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/6387602/Quality-Standards-Placemat-Evaluation

    If you are interested in participating or have any questions, please email Jorge Ginieniewicz at: jorge.ginieniewicz@ontariohealth.ca

    A new Quality standard placemat has been developed:

    Early Pregnancy Complications and Loss QS Placemat—summarizes content from the Early Pregnancy

    Illustration of a woman with long wavy hair in profile, holding plants in her arms

    Complications and Loss Quality Standard, focusing on care for people experiencing complications, such as pain and vaginal bleeding, and/or the loss of their pregnancy in the first 13 weeks.

    Share your Thoughts on Addressing Patients’ Mental Health Needs as a Pharmacist
    If you are a primary care pharmacist, the research team wants to hear from you! This study seeks to examine primary care team pharmacist contributions to patient mental health care and understand pharmacists’ experiences with collaboration during the COVID-19 pandemic. The 15 to 20 min survey includes a mix of multiple choice and open response questions.

    This study from the University of Toronto is co-led by Dr. Rachelle Ashcroft, Assistant Professor at the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, and Dr. Lisa Dolovich, Professor & Dean at the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy.

    To take the survey, please click on this link: https://bit.ly/SplPharm.

    Upcoming Webinars:

    In Case You Missed It: Check out eBulletin #109 or other back issues here!
    Questions? Comments? Contact us at improve@afhto.ca.

  • Bits & Pieces: youth grants, updated primary care guidance, back to school and more

    Bits & Pieces: youth grants, updated primary care guidance, back to school and more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In This Issue  
    • Youth Opportunities Fund- applications open
    • LAST DAY to submit a poster abstract!
    • Updated primary care guidance, back to school and more
    • Call for interest- BORN’s Health Equity Advisory Group
    • Free furniture donation – Ottawa
    • Upcoming events regarding collaborative Quality Improvement Plans and more

     

    Youth Opportunities Fund- applications open

    AFHTO members and their partners may be eligible to apply for the Systems Innovation Stream of Ontario Trillium Foundation’s (OTF) Youth Opportunities Fund, a grant worth up to $250,000 per year for  2 to 6 years.

    • The System Innovations Stream supports collaboratives that are strengthening the quality and responsiveness of systems so they work better for youth facing systemic barriers.
    • Organization Registration Deadline: September 1, 2021
    • Grant Application Deadline: September 29, 2021
    • Information Sessions: August 12 and 17, 2021

    Shocked emoji- top of head exploding

     

     

    LAST DAY to submit a poster abstract!

    Today is the deadline! Submit your poster abstract by 5:00 pm!

    Email info@afhto.ca or call 647-234-8605 x1200 if you have any questions. We’re here to help.

     

     

     

    Updated primary care guidance, back to school and more

    Recent updates include:

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

    Call for interest- BORN’s Health Equity Advisory Group

    Better Outcomes Registry & Network (BORN) Ontario is looking for members of equity-seeking groups with lived experience to join their Health Equity Advisory Group (HEAG). “Equity-seeking groups are communities that face significant collective challenges in participating in society. This marginalization can be created by attitudinal, historic, social, institutional, and environmental barriers based on age, ethnicity, disability, economic status, gender, nationality, race, religion, sexual orientation, and transgender status, etc.”
     
    The group will provide guidance and recommendations to BORN with a lens on equity. If you have questions about HEAG or this application process, please email Meron Berhe, Health Equity Advisory Group Chair at equity@bornontario.ca. Deadline August 18, 2021.

    Free furniture donation – Ottawa

    Any teams in the Ottawa area looking for free furniture and equipment donations from corporations to improve your office and working spaces? You can join Green Standards’ Charitable Network to receive notifications when furniture and equipment becomes available near you.

    How to Speak with Loved Ones About Getting Vaccinated, Aug. 4, 2021

    Join Dr. Danyaal Raza, Rexdale Vaccine Ambassador Terrence Rodriguez, and Behavioural Neuroscientist Olga Rodríguez-Sierra on having conversations with vaccine hesitant community members. Sign up here.

    OHT Virtual Engagement Series: collaborative Quality Improvement Plans, Aug. 11, 2021

    Hosted by the Ministry and Ontario health, this Information Session will be focused on the development and planning of collaborative Quality Improvement Plans (cQIPs). Find out more.

    Applying the Ontario Health Asthma Quality Standards for Children and Adolescents in your practice, August 12, 2021
    Hosted by Ontario Health and the Lung Health Foundation. Find out more here.

    Pandemic Recovery and Chronic Disease Management: Primary Care for Adults with Asthma, August 19, 2021
    Hosted by Ontario Health and the Lung Health Foundation. Find out more here.

    NPAO 2021 Virtual Annual Conference, Sep. 23-24, 2021
    This years’ Conference theme is Nurse Practitioner: Innovative Influencers of Health and Wellness. Find out more.

    OMD Digital Health and Virtual Care Day, Sep. 30, 2021
    This virtual day will focus on leveraging digital health and virtual care tools to complement the in-person delivery of patient care. Find out more here.

  • Bits & Pieces: rides to vaccination sites, immunization reconciliation and more

    Bits & Pieces: rides to vaccination sites, immunization reconciliation and more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In This Issue  
    • Rides to vaccination sites for people with disabilities
    • Virtual CBT for insomnia slides and video
    • Last reminder- nominations to the AFHTO Board of Directors open until July 30
    • COVID-19 immunization reconciliation tool, maternal-neonatal guidelines and more
    • Request for updated member renewal forms
    • New resources- seniors’ mental health & developmental surveillance
    • Reminder- seeking pharmacists’ input on experiences and contributions to mental health care during COVID-19
    • Upcoming events regarding aggregate primary care vaccination report and more

     

    Rides to vaccination sites for people with disabilities

    The Ontario Community Support Association’s Accessible Drive-to-Vaccines program provides door-to-door rides to vaccination sites for people with disabilities, including seniors with mobility issues. To determine eligibility, identify a local transportation provider and request service, visit www.ontariocommunitysupport.ca. 

    CBT webinar title slide

    Reminder – virtual CBT for insomnia webinar today

    In this webinar co-hosted with Queen’s FHT, we will review the first line treatment for chronic insomnia and describe its components. They will also explore how to set up and run a virtual group program in and interprofessional team setting. Slides and video are now available here.

     

    Last reminder- nominations to the AFHTO Board of Directors open until July 30

    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. Learn more about how you can take on a leadership role here. Deadline July 30.

    COVID-19 immunization reconciliation tool, maternal-neonatal guidelines and more

    Recent updates include:

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

    Request for updated member renewal forms

    Thank you to all our members for renewing another year. To ensure our records are kept up to date (and to keep our auditors happy), please email your completed member renewal form to info@afhto.ca if you haven’t already done so. Any change in the leadership triad, patient numbers, etc. helps inform our advocacy and our ability to connect the right people with the most relevant information available. Contact us at info@afhto.ca if you need a new form.

    New resources- seniors’ mental health & developmental surveillance

    Reminder- seeking pharmacists’ input on experiences and contributions to mental health care during COVID-19

    If you are a primary care pharmacist, University of Toronto researchers want to hear from you! Their study seeks to examine primary care team pharmacist contributions to patient mental health care, and understand pharmacists’ experiences with collaboration during the COVID-19 pandemic. The 15 to 20 min survey includes a mix of multiple choice and open response questions.
     
    This study from the University of Toronto is co-led by Dr. Rachelle Ashcroft, Assistant Professor at the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, and Dr. Lisa Dolovich, Professor & Dean at the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy.
     
    To take the survey, please click on this link: https://bit.ly/SplPharm.

    Aggregate Primary Care Vaccination Report Info Session, July 29, 2021
    Learn more about the new COVaxON Aggregate Primary Care Vaccination Report, as helpful strategies are discussed for accessing the reports and using the information to reach out to patients to understand their needs and discuss the benefits of receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. Find out more here.

    How to Speak with Loved Ones About Getting Vaccinated, Aug. 4, 2021

    Join Dr. Danyaal Raza, Rexdale Vaccine Ambassador Terrence Rodriguez, and Behavioural Neuroscientist Olga Rodríguez-Sierra on having conversations with vaccine hesitant community members. Sign up here.

    Applying the Ontario Health Asthma Quality Standards for Children and Adolescents in your practice, August 12, 2021
    Hosted by Ontario Health and the Lung Health Foundation. Find out more here.

    Pandemic Recovery and Chronic Disease Management: Primary Care for Adults with Asthma, August 19, 2021
    Hosted by Ontario Health and the Lung Health Foundation. Find out more here.

    Introduction to CARF Network Accreditation for Ontario Health Teams, Aug. 18, 2021
    Hosted by CARF Canada. Register here.

    NPAO 2021 Virtual Annual Conference, Sep. 23-24, 2021
    This years’ Conference theme is Nurse Practitioner: Innovative Influencers of Health and Wellness. Find out more.

  • Bits & Pieces: member stories, virtual CBT and more

    Bits & Pieces: member stories, virtual CBT and more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In This Issue  
    • Reminder – virtual CBT for insomnia webinar today
    • Member stories
    • Primary Care Vaccination QI Support CoP
    • Updated screening form, aggregate vaccination reports and more
    • PTSD, Relationships & Accessible Support slides and video
    • 800 O2 sat monitors remaining- deadline for ordering extended
    • Support to implement large scale improvement initiatives- EXTRA call for applications
    • Upcoming events regarding aggregate primary care vaccination report and more

     

    Reminder – virtual CBT for insomnia webinar today

    In this webinar co-hosted with Queen’s FHT, we will review the first line treatment for chronic insomnia and describe its components. They will also explore how to set up and run a virtual group program in and interprofessional team setting. Get more details and register here.

    Elliott Lake FHT clinician in PPE administering their 10000th dose of the COVID-19 vaccine to a masked man sitting down

     

     

    Member stories

    Couchiching FHT– Orillia doc ‘thrilled’ to be named Family Physician of the Year

    Elliott Lake FHT– 10,000 dose milestone

    Thames Valley FHT – Final buzzer sounds on London’s rink-turned-COVID-centre as cases drop

    Upper Grand FHT– wrapping up drive-through vaccination clinics

     

     

     

     

    Primary Care Vaccination QI Support CoP

    There has been a lot of interest in the aggregate primary care vaccination reports, and we know there are a lot of questions. Apart from the information sessions, you can get answers in the Primary Care Vaccination QI Support CoP, an Ontario Health CoP on Quorum.

    Updated screening form, aggregate vaccination reports and more

    Recent updates include:

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

    PTSD webinar title slide with image of a forest surrounding a lake with mountains in the background

     

    PTSD, Relationships & Accessible Support slides and video

    On July 14 we held a webinar co-hosted with Couple HOPES discussing PTSD and relationships with Dr. Candice Monson, Professor of Psychology at Ryerson University, Director of the IMPACT psychology research lab, and Registered Clinical Psychologist. Slides and video are now available here.

    800 O2 sat monitors remaining- deadline for ordering extended

    Only 5% of the original stock of oxygen saturation monitors are left. With some monitors remaining, Ontario Health is extending the deadline for ordering. Primary care providers can benefit from having oxygen saturation monitors in their practice for patients being monitored with COVID-19, or other serious respiratory conditions such as COPD. To place an order for a free monitor complete this form. Orders will be fulfilled while supplies last over the next two weeks. Contact OH_COVIDatHome@ontariohealth.ca for more information. Learn more on how to monitor patients with COVID-19.

    Support to implement large scale improvement initiatives- EXTRA call for applications

    Per Healthcare Excellence Canada:
    EXTRA is a program that supports teams of health leaders to implement large scale improvement initiatives. The teams are networked with others across the country, receive content from Canadian and international experts, and are supported throughout the 16-month program by QI coaches. Several teams from Ontario have participated in the past. In the 2019 cohort, a team from Michael Garron Hospital, VHA Home Health and Woodgreen Community Services led a project to deliver acute care at home to people with COPD for example.

    As we slowly emerge from the pandemic, you may be looking to solidify some of the practices you put in place to deal with the public health emergency or implement some improvement initiatives you weren’t able to get to. You can also partner with other organizations on an improvement project. The EXTRA program will support all these efforts.

    You can find more info on the EXTRA program and the application process in the Call for Applications here or by visiting the Healthcare Excellence Canada’s website.

    While the deadline for applications was July 15th, the EXTRA team is willing to extend it, should anyone express an interest in the coming few weeks. You can also reach out directly to Genevieve Martin at Healthcare Excellence Canada at EXTRA-FORCES@hec-esc.ca.

    Aggregate Primary Care Vaccination Report Info Sessions, July 21-29, 2021
    Hosted by Public Health Ontario. At times, primary care providers have felt detached from COVID-19 vaccine rollouts. To support primary care involvement, this session will summarize key enablers that led the Waterloo Region to achieve the highest total vaccine output through primary care across Ontario. Find out more here.

    Data Package and Data Supports Information Session, July 22, 2021

    Part of the “OHT Virtual Engagement Series”, supported by the Ministry of Health and Ontario Health. Find out more here.

    Applying the Ontario Health Asthma Quality Standards for Children and Adolescents in your practice, August 12, 2021
    Hosted by Ontario Health and the Lung Health Foundation. Find out more here.

    Pandemic Recovery and Chronic Disease Management: Primary Care for Adults with Asthma, August 19, 2021
    Hosted by Ontario Health and the Lung Health Foundation. Find out more here.