Ultimate Blogging Championship

Tag: Care for Specific Populations

  • QI in Action eBulletin #107: COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic Workflow and Mass Upload Tips & Tricks

    QI in Action eBulletin #107: COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic Workflow and Mass Upload Tips & Tricks

    In this Issue:

    • COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic Workflow and Mass Upload Tips & Tricks
    • Ontario Health Updates: Quality Standards (QS)
    • Recent Research Publications
    • Upcoming Webinars

     

    COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic Workflow and Mass Upload Tips & Tricks

    COVID-19 vaccination clinic workflow cover data & emr edition tips & tricks

     

    As teams move from pilot COVID-19 vaccination clinics to mass vaccination clinics, drive-thru vaccination clinics and in-clinic vaccinations, we have put together a document geared towards the Super User, with some tips and tricks. Learning from the experience of Windsor FHT, Hamilton FHT, Upper Grand FHT, London FHT and many more we have summarized the key learnings for you!

    OntarioMD continues to provide live and recorded series of webinars for the COVaxON system. In addition, it’s recommended to keep an eye on their website for any updates on End to End sessions, EMR Tools and Queries, Job Aids and much more!

     

     

    COVID-19 vaccination mass client upload workflow

     

     

    In collaboration with the QI in PC Council, we have put together a Mass Client Upload Workflow document with tips and tricks for data extraction, manipulation, and upload.

    In addition, to these tips and tricks it is highly recommended to keep an eye on the OntarioMD and eHealth Centre of Excellence Community Portal for up-to-date queries to help identify patient lists for vaccinations.

     

     

     

     

    Ontario Health Updates: Quality Standards (QS)

    Recognizing World Asthma Day (May 5th)

    Asthma is one of the most common chronic conditions in Canada. Two million Ontarians have asthma and an estimated 90% of them have uncontrolled asthma that could be improved by optimizing medication. It’s more important than ever for people with asthma to get the best treatments to prevent emergency room visits for asthma flare-up during the pandemic.

    Ontario Health has also developed placemats based on the Asthma quality standards to support you and your patients living with asthma. The placemat is a quick-reference tool that concisely summarizes key information from the quality standard and can be used by primary care providers to facilitate patient-centered discussions. See the links below to access the asthma placemats:

    EMR Resources for primary care providers
    Ontario Health is making the QS placemats more accessible by supporting their use within electronic medical record (EMR) systems. They have developed EMR user guides to help you access the QS placemats in Accuro and Practice Solutions Suite EMR systems. A step-by-step guide to support OSCAR EMR users will be available soon.

    OH encourages you to share these resources with your colleagues and networks. Please let them know how these resources are being used in the field and in your EMR systems. To share your feedback, please email qualitystandards@hqontario.ca.  

    Research Publications

    Upcoming Webinars:

    In Case You Missed It: Check out eBulletin #106 or other back issues here!
    Questions? Comments? Contact us at improve@afhto.ca.

  • April 27th Update on COVID-19 Vaccination Roll Out

    In This Issue:

    • Introduction including Ontario Science Table brief
    • Responding to Patient Concerns About the AstraZeneca Vaccine
    • Message from Ontario Health (Cancer Care) – Guidance for Primary Care & General Medical Imaging for Vaccine-related Adenopathy
    • COVaxON
    • Primary Care Community of Practice
    • New and Updated Resources

    Dear Members,
    We are writing to provide you with an update from our united Primary Care COVID-19 Vaccination Collaborative (PC-VAC*).  

    We know the last few weeks have been exceptionally challenging and you are all exhausted – we all share in your anger and frustration with how poor policy decisions have led us to this devastating third wave, but we are continually inspired with how much primary care continues to step up and support your patients, your community, your colleagues, and the health care system.

    Whether it’s pivoting to supporting vaccination or continuing with in-person care to prevent people going to hospitals, working in the assessment centres or, more recently, managing COVID@Home, primary care has been at the cornerstone of this pandemic.

    This brief from Ontario’s Science Table lays out very clearly the six things that will reduce transmission, protect our health care system, and allow us to re-open safely as soon as possible. As the Primary Care Collaborative we support these principles – specifically for fair, evidence-based measures that will limit the risk of illness for workers and their families, and to provide tools to help overcome other barriers to vaccination, such as hesitancy.

    While we also welcome the government walk back on the potential of introducing paid sick days, we still do not know any details on this. So, as we wait on details we are also requesting still further clarity on some of the additional measures that have been introduced. We will share more information as it becomes available.

    On April 23rd, the Ministry added Pregnant Individuals under the highest risk conditions in the Phase 2 prioritization guidance. While we wait for the updated Prioritization Guidance Document to reflect this change, you can read the memo that was sent to the PHUs from Dr. Dirk Huyer, Lead, Clinical Guidance and Surveillance Workstream. Additional updated information can be found below.

    Responding to Patient Concerns About the AstraZeneca Vaccine
    The OMA has developed key messages to help physicians address patient concerns about the AstraZeneca vaccine, including the rare occurrence of vaccine-induced prothrombotic immune thrombocytopenia (VIPIT).

    The Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table has developed guidance for VIPIT for both Emergency Medicine/In-Patient Settings and Outpatient Settings, including a triage flowchart for diagnosis and recommendations for management. A lay summary is also available for physicians to refer to when speaking with their patients.

    Thrombosis Canada has put together this FAQ on COVID-19 vaccines and blood clots.

    OCFP has developed a message that can be used/adapted by your practice to update patients on use of the AZ vaccine, including questions about safety. The CEP also has tips for conversations  with your patients.

    NACI updated its recommendations on the use of authorized COVID-19 vaccines to incorporate its analysis of a rare but serious safety signal of vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT), following vaccination with the AstraZeneca vaccine. Also released was a summary of the  vaccine statement and the CCMOH also followed-up with a statement.

    Message from Ontario Health (Cancer Care) – Guidance for Primary Care & General Medical Imaging for Vaccine-related Adenopathy
    Axillary adenopathy has been reported as a common side effect of the COVID-19 vaccine. Due to the mass vaccination underway, it is expected to be increasingly found in breast and other imaging. Ontario Health (Cancer Care Ontario) has developed guidance for primary care on COVID-19 vaccine-related adenopathy. The guidance provides recommendations on management of adenopathy detected during breast screening, general medical imaging, and patient detected adenopathy.

    COVaxON
    If you will be vaccinating in your clinic or would like to in the next phases of the rollout, we encourage you to sign up for COVaxON training on the OntarioMD website. Training will be scheduled on an ongoing basis. OntarioMD is suggesting that each practice have one or more (depending on the size of practice) member of their staff trained on the ‘End to End Training’ module.

    Primary Care Community of Practice
    Ontario Health (OH) and your primary care associations have collected resources and lessons learned through a series of Community of Practice meetings with the primary care pilot participants.

    Please join the Primary Care Vaccination CoP online forum for resources. If you have trouble signing up for Quorum, please message janine.theben@ontarioehealth.ca for assistance.

    If you’re participating in vaccination efforts and would like to learn from other primary care sites that are currently vaccinating please register for upcoming webinars. You can view the recording from the April 22 Community of Practice here.

    New and Updated Resources

    “Safer” vaccination site for those who are uninsured

    • Uninsured Network is developing a list of “safer” vaccination sites where migrants including undocumented residents can receive access to the vaccine in a safe, dignified way. Organizations and practices standing up vaccination sites can fill out their Declaration: Access Without Fear Access to Vaccines in Ontario form online if they are interested in implementing the recommended practices (as listed on the form), and be listed/promoted as a “safer” vaccination site.

    Multilingual resources

    • riomix.ca is a collaborative, centralized, and accessible repository of translated materials and multilingual websites relating to health and community care and support from Access Alliance. The resource library includes but is not limited to COVID-19 materials.

    Find resources from previous weeks here.

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

    Yours in good health,

    The AFHTO Team

    *Ontario Primary Care COVID-19 Vaccination Collaborative Partners 

    • Alliance for Healthier Communities
    • Association of Family Health Teams of Ontario
    • Indigenous Primary Health Care Council
    • Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinic Association
    • Ontario College of Family Physicians
    • Ontario Medical Association Section on General and Family Practice
    • Ontario’s Academic Chairs of Family Medicine
  • Bits & Pieces: join over 200 people for lung health webinar and more

    Bits & Pieces: join over 200 people for lung health webinar and more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In This Issue  
    • Reminder – Respiratory Care During COVID-19: What Have We Learned One Year Later, April 21, 2021
    • Member stories
    • COVID@Home webinar video & resources, pregnancy & breastfeeding tools and more
    • Microsoft Teams update
    • Improving the population health of people at risk or living with diabetic foot complications slides and video
    • ONE Mail direct retirement and transition
    • Patients at low risk of amoxicillin allergy can undergo oral provocation challenge: study
    • Co-developing a culturally appropriate question prompt tool about CVD risk after hypertensive pregnancy
    • Upcoming events including building a resilient non-profit organization and more

     

     

    Reminder- Respiratory Care During COVID-19: What Have We Learned One Year Later, April 21, 2021

    Over 200 people have already registered for this webinar co-hosted with the Lung Health Foundation. We invite you to reflect on best practices & considerations for diagnosing and managing lung diseases during the pandemic.
    Find out more here and join us.

    Member stories

    Clinton FHT – Kimberly Van Wyk, ED on an episode of Humanizing Our Differences, discussing how to be a welcoming community to newcomers

    East Wellington FHT – East Wellington FHT purchases vaccination fridge with donation from Erin Rotary Club

    You can share your own stories with our member initiative webform. If you have any questions, please email us at info@afhto.ca.

    COVID@Home webinar video & resources, pregnancy & breastfeeding tools and more

    Recent updates include:

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

    Microsoft Teams update
    About a year ago we had mentioned that we were talking to Ontario Health (OH) to get access to a discounted rate of Microsoft 365 (which includes Microsoft Teams), through Ontario Health’s affiliate licensing.  Currently OH is still negotiating with Microsoft about the discount pricing as they finalize the enterprise agreement. Penalties related to opting out of existing agreements to move to OH’s Microsoft 365 affiliate licensing are being looked into by Microsoft and they will advise us on how this transition will work. Members will be informed when details become available.

    Title slide with holding hands

    Improving the population health of people at risk or living with diabetic foot complications slides and video

    This interactive webinar on Thursday, April 15 provides an overview of your role to improve the population health of people at risk or living with diabetic foot complications across the full continuum of care settings to improve patient experience, outcomes, and costs. Slides and video now available.

     

     

    ONE Mail retirement

    Ontario Health (OH) is retiring its ONE® Mail Direct provider to provider secure email service in 2021. The service was underutilized by community clinicians and uptake by physicians was not widespread. Ontario Health will be providing clinicians/users with formal notice in phases starting in early April 2021. Clinicians/users will have 90 days after they receive formal notice to transition to a new secure email service. TeraMach is the selected vendor and you can learn more about them here. Further information can be found in the OH & OMD FAQs documents.

    Please note: ONE Mail Direct retirement does not affect the status of your ONE ID credentials. You will be able to continue accessing other Ontario Health services that you are currently enrolled in.

    Patients at low risk of amoxicillin allergy can undergo oral provocation challenge: study
    This study involving chart review of North Perth FHT patients concluded oral provocation challenge presents a safe and accessible opportunity for primary care providers to address erroneous allergy labels to penicillin and related drugs within the primary care office setting. Authors include Jessie Rumble, Ingersoll NPLC. Read here.

    Co-developing a culturally appropriate question prompt tool about CVD risk after hypertensive pregnancy

    Researchers at University Health Network and University of Calgary are recruiting clinicians that care for women who had hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP), referring to a spectrum of conditions from gestational hypertension to severe preeclampsia. HDP increases risk of premature cardiovascular disease (CVD), but can be prevented through physical activity, diet, and medication.

    Participation involves a one-time 20-minute telephone interview to discuss how a pre-formed list of questions might help clinicians counsel women about CVD prevention. If you are a midwife, nurse practitioner, family physician, obstetrician, cardiologist, or cardiac rehabilitation professional, please contact jessica.ramlakhan@uhnresearch.ca to ask questions or express interest.

    Building a Resilient Non-Profit Organization through Proactive Risk Management, April 22, 2021

    See how you can navigate uncertainty and prepare for the unexpected as they cover risk management strategy elements in this webinar.
    Find out more here.

    COVID-19 CoP: Vaccination in primary care, evolving vaccine evidence, and more, April 23, 2021
    The OCFP & University of Toronto DFCM will be discussing evolving vaccine evidence and experience delivering vaccines as part of primary care pilots.
    Learn more here.

    Primary Care Vaccine QI Support Group Webinar Series, April 22- May 13, 2021

    Join Ontario Health to learn valuable lessons from pilot sites, gain access to resources, information and quality improvement tips to assist you in moving forward with your vaccine plans.

    Register here

     EMR/EHR auditing obligations, May 7, 2021

    Join Kate Dewhirst Law to better understand the obligations to audit EMR and EHRs. Learn more here.

    A Deep Dive into Co-Designing Care Models for your Priority Populations, May 6, 2021
    The RISE OHT webcasts will show how your OHT can re-design care for patients in your priority populations, and help every patient in those populations experience coordinated transitions between providers.
    Learn more here.

  • QI in Action eBulletin # 106: COVID-19 Vaccination Eligibility – EMR Searches for Primary Care

    QI in Action eBulletin # 106: COVID-19 Vaccination Eligibility – EMR Searches for Primary Care

    In this Issue:

    • EMR Searches for Primary Care
    • eConsult Specialty Groups
    • Share your COVID-19 Initiatives
    • Upcoming Webinars

    EMR Searches for Primary Care
    To support primary care with COVID-19 vaccination during Phase Two of Ontario’s roll out strategy, the team at the eHealth Centre of Excellence can provide EMR searches that enable clinicians to more efficiently identify and prioritize ambulatory patients from their roster who are in greatest need of the COVID-19 vaccination.

    Searches are now available for Telus PS Suite, Oscar and Accuro EMRs. Searches prioritize patients according to the eligibility criteria outlined in the Ministry of Health’s provincial Phase Two vaccination roll-out plan.

    The three searches created prioritise patients according to highest risk, high risk and at-risk populations.

    highest, high and at risk population search

    To download these searches, please join the community portal.

    eConsult Specialty Groups

    As a result of the current COVID-19 pandemic, OTN and the eConsult Centre of Excellence in partnership with Public Health, OMA, OntarioMD, Ontario Health and the MOH have created new specialty groups;

    • a COVID-19 BASETM managed eConsult specialty group. This group enables physicians and nurse practitioners to ask general clinical questions to infectious disease specialist electronically and receive a response within days. The COVID-19 BASE™ Managed Specialty Group is now available province-wide.
    • a COVID-19 – Allergy/Immunology BASE™ Managed Specialty Group. This group enables physicians and nurse practitioners to ask COVID-19 vaccine allergy related clinical questions to Allergy and Clinical Immunology specialists electronically and receive a response within days.
    • a COVID-19 and Pregnancy BASE™ Managed Specialty Group. This group enables physicians and nurse practitioners to ask COVID-19 and Pregnancy related clinical questions to Obstetrics specialists electronically and receive a response within days.
    • a COVID-19 and Autoimmune Disorders BASE™ Managed Specialty Group. This group enables physicians and nurse practitioners to ask COVID-19 and Autoimmune Disorders related clinical questions to Rheumatology specialists electronically and receive a response within days.

    These are the only group that allows for population-based, non-patient specific clinical questions. Specialists can answer both patient-specific and general questions about COVID-19.

     

    • For non-patient specific questions please enter the patient information as follows:
      • First Name: COVID19
      • Last Name: COVID19
      • Date of Birth: 1900-01-01
      • Select OHIP number not available
    • Please note: Patient screening for COVID-19 must still be done through Public Health Services. For more information on the COVID-19 vaccine in Ontario, visit Getting a COVID-19 vaccine in Ontario.
    • If you would like to sign up for eConsult, visit www.otnhub.ca or complete the Intake Form and someone can assist you.
    • If you need a refresher on how to submit an eConsult, you can watch the training video here.

    Tell us what COVID-19 initiatives you’re proud of!
    News is that COVID-19 has been rapidly evolving- and so are your teams!
    AFHTO is committed to advocating for your teams by amplifying stories of your team’s efforts, pandemic or not. Tell us what your team is doing to continue providing care to your patients, whether it’s:

    –    COVID-19 vaccination efforts
    –    Adaptations to your programs or clinic
    –    New programs emerging from newly recognized demands
    –    Stories of collaboration with other organizations or the community
    … or any other initiatives your team is proud of- we want to hear from you.

    Submit your COVID-19 stories & photos here, OR tag us on Facebook or Twitter
    … and we could be celebrating your team’s work next!

    Picture of first tweet in vaccine tweet thread

     

    Facebook post of Athens District vaccine drive through

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    COVID member initiatives table

    Upcoming Webinars:

    Respiratory Care During COVID-19: What Have We Learned One Year Later
    Wednesday, April 21, 2021, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM | In collaboration with the LUNG HEALTH FOUNDATION
    This webinar will highlight practice changes and considerations for the diagnosis and management of chronic lung diseases such as COPD. This includes highlighting the challenges of respiratory diagnostics such as spirometry testing and policies and changes that were needed to provide a safe testing environment. Additionally, the webinar will highlight clinical resources and community support programs provided by the Lung Health Foundation to support primary care practices and their patients.
    For more info and to register, click here.

     

    In Case You Missed It: Check out eBulletin #105 or other back issues here!
    Questions? Comments? Contact us at improve@afhto.ca.

  • Bits & Pieces: respiratory care during COVID-19, Stay-at-Home order and more

    Bits & Pieces: respiratory care during COVID-19, Stay-at-Home order and more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In This Issue  
    • Member stories
    • Reminder – Your role in improving the population health of people at risk or living with diabetic foot complications
    • Register now! A webinar on EMR/EHR auditing obligations
    • Revised Phase 2 vaccination plan, identifying vaccine-eligible patients and more
    • Data governance framework for health data collected from Black communities in Ontario
    • Resources for injectable opioid agonist treatment
    • Team-based primary care improved health behaviors among patients with multimorbidity
    • Insulin therapy and managing At-Risk Drinking and Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) during COVID-19
    • Upcoming events including respiratory care during COVID-19and more

     

     

    Member stories
    Bancroft Community FHT – Bancroft Community FHT physician raises awareness about COVID-19

    Temagami FHT – Temagami FHT hosts successful COVID-19 vaccine clinic

    Haliburton Highlands FHT– vaccination clinic provides relief to elders

    You can share your own vaccination stories with our member initiative webform. If you have any questions, please email us at info@afhto.ca.

    Reminder – Your role in improving the population health of people at risk or living with diabetic foot complications, April 15, 2021

    Co-hosted with Wounds Canada, this interactive webinar on Thursday, April 15 will provide an overview of your role to improve the population health of people at risk or living with diabetic foot complications across the full continuum of care settings to improve patient experience, outcomes and costs. Register here.

    Register now! A webinar on EMR/EHR auditing obligations

    Teams are invited to join AFHTO and Kate Dewhirst (Kate Dewhirst Health Law) on Friday, May 7, from 12 PM to 1:30 PM to better understand obligations to audit electronic medical records (EMR) and electronic health records (EHR). Topics discussed will include why you have an audit, how often you should audit, and how to audit. More information and registration are here.

    Revised Phase 2 vaccination plan, identifying vaccine-eligible patients and more

    Recent updates include:

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

    Framework with black women- one in wheelchair and anotheer holding a black girl in her arms

     

    Data governance framework for health data collected from Black communities in Ontario

    The Black Health Equity Working Group has released the latest version of the Engagement, Governance, Access and Protection Framework (E-GAP), which is designed to guide the implementation of race and socio-demographic data collection strategies at the local and provincial levels in Ontario.

    • Download the report in English or French
    • Download the Consultation Summary Report in English or French

    You can contact the working group at info@blackhealthequity.ca

     

     

    Resources for injectable opioid agonist treatment
    Addictions and Mental Health Ontario (AMHO) has new resources to support increased access to injectable opioid agonist treatment (iOAT). iOAT is an evidence based and cost-effective medical intervention that is recommended for people with severe opioid dependence who have not responded to oral opioid agonist treatment or for whom oral opioid agonist treatment is not appropriate. More information and resources are here.

    Team-based primary care improved health behaviors among patients with multimorbidity
    Recently published in The Annals of Family Medicine, this research highlighted results when health care professionals (nurses, nutritionists, kinesiologists) were trained to deliver patient-centered intervention based on a motivational approach and self-management support. Read more here.

    Insulin therapy and managing At-Risk Drinking and Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) during COVID-19

    Centre for Effective Practice recently launched new tools:

    Respiratory Care During COVID-19: What Have We Learned One Year Later, April 21, 2021

    Reflect on best practices & considerations for diagnosing and managing lung diseases during the pandemic. Co-hosted with the Lung Health Foundation
    Find out more here.

    Project ECHO (UHN), Starting April 2021
    Join ECHO Ontario (UHN) for their newly released programs starting this spring.
    For more information:

    To register, click here.

    COVID-19 CoP: Vaccination in primary care, evolving vaccine evidence, and more, April 23, 2021
    The OCFP & University of Toronto DFCM will be discussing evolving vaccine evidence and experience delivering vaccines as part of primary care pilots.
    Learn more here.

    Primary Care Vaccine QI Support Group Webinar Series, April 22- May 13, 2021

    Join Ontario Health to learn valuable lessons from pilot sites, gain access to resources, information and quality improvement tips to assist you in moving forward with your vaccine plans.

    Register here

    A Deep Dive into Co-Designing Care Models for your Priority Populations, May 6, 2021
    The RISE OHT webcasts will show how your OHT can re-design care for patients in your priority populations, and help every patient in those populations experience coordinated transitions between providers.
    Learn more here.

  • Bits & Pieces: respiratory care during COVID-19, Stay-at-Home order and more

    Bits & Pieces: respiratory care during COVID-19, Stay-at-Home order and more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In This Issue  
    • Respiratory care during COVID-19: what have we learned one year later, Apr. 21
    • Ontario needs a Stay-at-Home order
    • Member stories
    • Lessons learned from KFLA Moderna community vaccination clinics and more
    • UpToDate discount reminder
    • Evaluation and performance improvement for OHTs CoP and webinar
    • Upcoming events including improving the population health of people at risk or living with diabetic foot complications and more

     

    Respiratory care during COVID-19: what have we learned one year later, Apr. 21

    The COVID-19 pandemic has required healthcare professionals to change the way care is delivered and has allowed for the development of innovative practices and partnerships for the continued provision of quality care.

    On April 21 this webinar, co-hosted with the Lung Health Foundation, will highlight practice changes and considerations for the diagnosis and management of chronic lung diseases such as COPD. This includes highlighting the challenges of respiratory diagnostics such as spirometry testing and policies and changes that were needed to provide a safe testing environment.

    Find out more and register here.

    Ontario needs a Stay-at-Home order

    Ontario needs a Stay-at-Home order, community vaccination plans, and paid sick leave for ALL workers to stop spread of COVID-19 variants, reduce the burden on health care.

    Today the Primary Care Collaborative (PCC) issued a statement urging the government to do more to suppress the transmission of COVID-19, including these 5 vital actions:

    1. Move the province from a shutdown to a stay-at-home order
    2. Ensure vaccines are reaching those who are most at risk for infection and who need them the most
    3. Prioritize vaccination of teachers, educators and school staff
    4. Create a broad education and communications campaign to address vaccine hesitancy
    5. Implement paid sick leave for all essential workers now.

    Read the full statement here.

    Member stories

    Dr. Allan Grill on CTV

    Markham FHT– our president and chair Dr. Allan Grill on CTV on protecting schools from outbreaks and more

    Multiple members- our Twitter thread highlighting members’ vaccine efforts. One tweet already has nearly 20,000 views!

    Lessons learned from KFLA Moderna community vaccination clinics and more

    Recent updates include:

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

    UpToDate discount reminder

    Thanks to our partnership with Wolters Kluwer, AFHTO members have access to special benefits on UpToDate®. Physicians, residents, NPs, pharmacists, and PAs are all eligible.  For more details, please contact your ED or Admin Lead.

    EDs and Admin Leads, if you have any questions, please email us at info@afhto.ca.

    Evaluation and performance improvement for OHTs CoP and webinar

    HSPN is hosting a new community for those working on evaluation and performance improvement in OHTs. You can join here.

    The next OHT Evaluation Webinar will be OHT Improvement Measures for Focus Populations on April 27. Register here

    Your role in improving the population health of people at risk or living with diabetic foot complications, April 15, 2021
    Co-hosted with Wounds Canada, this interactive webinar will provide an overview of your role to improve the population health of people at risk or living with diabetic foot complications across the full continuum of care settings to improve patient experience, outcomes and costs. Register here.

    Together We Care Virtual Conference, April 20-22, 2021
    Join the OLTCA & ORCA as they connect the LTC and retirement community sector to help shape the future of senior’s care.
    Find out more here.

    Building vaccine confidence in the Black community, evolving guidance, and more, Apr. 9, 2021

    The OCFP’s COVID-19 COP will focus on building vaccine confidence in the Black community.
    Find out more here.

    A Deep Dive into Co-Designing Care Models for your Priority Populations, May 6, 2021
    The RISE OHT webcasts will show how your OHT can re-design care for patients in your priority populations, and help every patient in those populations experience coordinated transitions between providers.
    Learn more here.

  • April 5th Update on COVID-19 Vaccination Roll Out

    In This Issue:

    • Vaccinating in Primary Care
    • COVaxON
    • Primary Care Community of Practice
    • COVID@Home Monitoring for Primary Care
    • Provincial Antigen Screening Program
    • COVID-19 Vaccine Eligibility EMR Searches
    • COVID-19 Learning Opportunities
    • New Resources
    • Relevant Ministry Guidance Documents for Primary Care

    Dear Members,
    We are writing to provide you with an update from our united Primary Care COVID-19 Vaccination Collaborative (PC-VAC*). March 26th key messages we shared with vaccine decision-makers can be found here.  

    The April 1st Update on COVID-19 Projections from the Science Table paints a very grim picture for the upcoming month. The third wave is here, and it is being driven by the Variants of Concern (VOC) where we are seeing younger Ontarians ending up in hospitals, with ICU beds at full capacity. The update also highlights that the vaccine rollout has not reached the highest risk communities where there are high rates of COVID-19.

    The Primary Care Collaborative had an opportunity to speak about the rollout challenges at the Associate Minister’s Collaboration Table with a deliberate ask – please employ an equity lens NOW and make sure vaccines are going to those who need it the most, in the communities where they live. Ensure primary care is front and center in that rollout to get more #NeedlesInArms.

    Vaccinating in Primary Care
    Ontario is expanding pharmacy and primary care locations for COVID-19 vaccinations. Approximately 120,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine have been allocated to public health and primary care practices in the 34 regions. The clinics have already heard or will hear directly from their public health units about when to expect the vaccines in their practices.

    We are currently working with government to ensure that all thirty-four public health units also allocate Moderna and other vaccines to primary care settings soon, learning from regions like Kingston, Frontenac, Lenox & Addington (KFLA) and Lambton where utilization of Moderna is part of the norm.

    COVaxON
    If you will be vaccinating in your clinic or are involved in future rollouts, please sign up for COVaxON training on the OntarioMD website. Training will be scheduled on an ongoing basis. OntarioMD is suggesting that each practice have one or more (depending on the size of practice) member of their staff trained on the ‘End to End Training’ module.

    Primary Care Community of Practice
    Ontario Health (OH) and your primary care associations have collected resources and lessons learned through a series of Community of Practice meetings with the primary care pilot participants. Please join the Primary Care Vaccination Pilot CoP online forum for resources. If you have trouble signing up for Quorum, please message janine.theben@ontarioehealth.ca for assistance.

    COVID@Home Monitoring for Primary Care
    Ontario Health is providing tools and resources for COVID@Home to help primary care providers who wish to remotely monitor people who have mild to moderate COVID-19 in the community. For further guidance on the implementation of this initiative at a site level, please refer to the Ontario Health resource toolkit COVID@Home Monitoring for Primary Care, which includes clinical pathways as well as instructions for the use and proper handling in collecting and disinfecting the monitors for use by the next patient.

    To request oxygen saturation monitors for the COVID@Home initiative, please complete the Oxygen Saturation Monitor Eligibility and Intake Form. Requests will then be reviewed for eligibility purposes by Ontario Health, prior to fulfilling requests. Please note that the Ministry of Health reserves the right to limit quantities as needed.

    Provincial Antigen Screening Program
    The Provincial Antigen Screening Program allows employers in priority settings to add an additional safety measure in high-risk and essential workplaces, to help reduce the spread of COVID-19. Through the program, rapid antigen point-of-care tests (POCTs) can be distributed to primary care settings to enhance existing routine screening measures for asymptomatic employees and other identified groups.

    Rapid antigen POCTs may allow for workplaces to proactively identify cases of COVID-19 that may have otherwise been missed, supporting employee safety and business continuity in a variety of workplaces. In addition, primary care practices are also eligible to access the diagnostic point-of-care rapid testing with ID Now that can be used to diagnose COVID-19 in symptomatic patients. Please click here for more information or contact Heather Nichol if you have any questions.

    COVID-19 Vaccine Eligibility EMR Searches
    The eHealth Centre of Excellence has updated the COVID-19 Vaccine Eligibility EMR Searches for Telus PSS EMR. The COVID-19 Vaccine Eligibility EMR Searches version 2.0 was built to service Phase 2 in the Ontario COVID-19 vaccination plan. You can find more information on this phase here, and can download the latest tool version here.

    If you are interested in further training or a review of the upgraded version, you can schedule a Coaching Session to answer any questions. All Coaching Sessions are free of charge and are accredited by CFPC for Mainpro+ CPD credits.
    COVID-19 Learning Opportunities

    Updated COVID-19 vaccination e-learning series

    • The COVID-19 vaccination e-learning series has been updated with a new module called “Emerging Topics”. The new module includes information on the impact of variants on vaccination, transmission post-vaccination, the four-month dosing interval, and the latest information about AstraZeneca and VIPIT. It is free to access following a short registration here.

    The COVID-19 Vaccine: Building vaccine confidence in the Black community, evolving guidance, and more
    The next Ontario College of Family Physicians (OCFP) Community of Practice will be on Friday, April 9, 2021 at 8:00-9:00am (ET). They will be continuing our discussion on COVID-19 vaccines, this time focusing on building vaccine confidence in the Black community. As usual, the panelists will also be speaking about the latest changes in guidance and policy and answering the questions you have. Register here.

    New Resources:

    Relevant Ministry Guidance Documents for Primary Care:
    Below are the reference and guidance documents developed by the Ministry of Health that are relevant to primary care for your reference.

    Vaccine Prioritization Resources:

    1. Guidance for Prioritizing Health Care Workers for COVID-19 Vaccination
    2. Phase 2 Prioritization for COVID-19 Vaccination

     Health Care Provider Education Documents:

    1. COVID-19 Vaccine Approval Process and Safety
    2. About COVID-19 Vaccines
    3. COVID-19 Vaccine Availability and Rollout
    4. COVID-19 Vaccine Information Sheet
    5. Extension of the Second Dose Interval Memo

     General Immunization Documents for Patients:

    1. What you need to know about your COVID-19 vaccine appointment
    2. After Your COVID-19 Vaccine
    3. COVID-19 What you need to know V2.0

    General Immunization Documents for Immunizers and Vaccine Clinics:

    1. COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic Operations Planning Checklist
    2. Vaccine Storage and Handling Guidance- Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 Vaccines
    3. Administration of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine
    4. Administration of Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine
    5. Administration of AstraZeneca COVID-19/COVISHIELD Vaccine
    6. COVID-19 Vaccination Recommendations for Special Populations
    7. COVID-19 Vaccination: Allergy Form

    Consent for COVID-19 Vaccination Documents:

    1. Pre-Screening Assessment Tool for Health Care Providers
    2. COVID-19 Vaccine Consent Form

    Find resources from previous weeks here.

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

    Yours in good health,

    The AFHTO Team

    *Ontario Primary Care COVID-19 Vaccination Collaborative Partners 

    • Alliance for Healthier Communities
    • Association of Family Health Teams of Ontario
    • Indigenous Primary Health Care Council
    • Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinic Association/Nurse Practitioners’ Association of Ontario
    • Ontario College of Family Physicians
    • Ontario Medical Association Section on General and Family Practice
    • Ontario’s Academic Chairs of Family Medicine
  • Bits & Pieces: oxygen saturation monitors for COVID@Home, Primary Care Collaborative and more

    Bits & Pieces: oxygen saturation monitors for COVID@Home, Primary Care Collaborative and more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In This Issue  
    • Oxygen saturation of COVID home monitoring
    • Announcing the Primary Care Collaborative
    • Your role in improving the population health of people at risk or living with diabetic foot complications
    • Member stories
    • Joint letter on vaccine dose intervals for indigenous populations
    • Patient-facing document updates, Gen. Hillier memo and more
    • Supporting older persons at home slides and video
    • Canada’s Volunteer Awards National Advisory Committee
    • AMS Healthcare research fellowships: provider mental health and wellbeing
    • Upcoming events including Building a Resilient Nonprofit Organization through Proactive Risk Management and more

    Oxygen saturation of COVID home monitoring

    COVID-19 pandemic has led to unexpected surges in demand on the provincial healthcare system, and healthcare settings across the province face patient capacity constraints, potentially affecting care for all patients. To help ease these constraints, Ontario Health is providing tools and resources for COVID@Home to help primary care providers who wish to remotely monitor people who have mild to moderate COVID-19 in the community.

    Oxygen saturation monitors are now available to be ordered by primary care physician offices and interprofessional primary care team offices through the provincial pandemic stockpile. Find out more about the initiative and how to order here.

    Announcing the Primary Care Collaborative

    COVID-19 shows the vital roles primary care providers play every day for community health and wellbeing and health system cooperation in Ontario.

    On March 29 we announced the launch of the Primary Care Collaborative with five other partners, including Alliance for Healthier Communities, IPHCC, NPLCA, OCFP and SGFP. Visit our site for the full release.

    Working more collaboratively together, we hope a unified primary care sector can help advance the important role that primary care will play towards recovery from this pandemic.

    Your role in improving the population health of people at risk or living with diabetic foot complications

    Co-hosted with Wounds Canada, this interactive webinar on April 15 will provide an overview of your role to improve the population health of people at risk or living with diabetic foot complications across the full continuum of care settings to improve patient experience, outcomes and costs.

    By the end of the webinar participants will:

    • Discuss prevention and management approaches based on risk stratification of people at risk or living with diabetic foot complications
    • Explore ways to leverage telehealth / virtual care assessments to support patients at risk or living with diabetic foot complications
    • Leverage Wounds Canada resources to optimize your practice

    Register here.

    Member stories
    Bancroft FHT– Bancroft FHT vaccinates over 1000 people from COVID-19

    Central Lambton and Rapids FHTs – Family doctors join vaccine rollout in Sarnia-Lambton

    Georgian Bay FHT– video tour of the Collingwood and Wasaga drive-thru vaccine clinics

    Queen Square FHT– Ontario family physicians seek clarity on when they can administer COVID-19 vaccines in office

    Joint letter on vaccine dose intervals for indigenous populations
    On March 26 we sent a joint letter to Premier Ford and Minister Elliott on changes to the vaccine dosing schedule for Indigenous populations.

    “We are standing in solidarity with the Indigenous Primary Health Care Council and asking that, at bare minimum, those Indigenous people living in urban areas who’ve already received their first doses of vaccines be grandfathered in, and permitted to receive their second doses within 21-28 days. This allows for continuity of care, and confidence in this process and the vaccine itself.”

    Read the full letter on our site.

    Patient-facing document updates, Gen. Hillier memo and more

    Recent updates include:

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

    Supporting older persons at home title screenshot

    Supporting older persons at home slides and video

    On Mar. 25 Provincial Geriatrics Leadership Ontario discussed how to better support older persons in the community using lessons learned during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Slides and video are now available.

     

     

    Canada’s Volunteer Awards National Advisory Committee
    Canada’s Volunteer Awards (CVA) will be accepting applications for the CVA National Advisory Committee (NAC) until April 8. Members of the National Advisory Committee play a leading role in the selection of Canada’s Volunteer Awards recipients by reviewing nominations and making recommendations to the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development. They will also support the promotion of the program throughout their term. To apply visit their site.

    AMS Healthcare research fellowships: provider mental health and wellbeing

    AMS Healthcare is offering one-year fellowships of up to $75,000 to early and mid-career academic researchers and scholars and academically trained regulated health care professionals to study and develop expertise/competence in the impact of digital technology/artificial intelligence on compassionate care. Some projects will have an additional focus on the wellbeing and mental health of healthcare providers, patients and caregivers to address the challenges of living and working through the COVID-19 pandemic. Letter of intent due Apr. 7. Visit their site for details.

    Foundations to QI (IDEAS) Program e-Learning Course, Mar. 31 & Apr. 1, 2021
    E-QIP is holding this comprehensive introductory QI course designed for the community mental health sector. You’ll be well versed in a common language and approach to QI with the aim of improving client care, experience and outcomes after this course.
    Find out more here.

    ECHO Managing COVID-19 in Primary Care, Starting Apr. 13, 2021
    UHN’s ECHO series is back- now with 12 parts. Join other primary care providers in this interactive online program.
    Find out more here.

    Building a Resilient Nonprofit Organization through Proactive Risk Management, Apr. 22, 2021
    Charity Village webinar with Risk Management Consultants Lilli Chiu and Isaac Monson from HUB International and insights on how to navigate uncertainty and prepare for the unexpected. Register here.

    Excellence through Quality Improvement (E-QIP) Conference, Apr. 13, 2021
    Hosted by CMHA Ontario, this one-day virtual conference is being offered for FREE.
    Visit their site.

  • Bits & Pieces: phase 2 guidance, cancer screening rock stars needed and more

    Bits & Pieces: phase 2 guidance, cancer screening rock stars needed and more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In This Issue  
    • Cancer screening rockstars needed
    • Reminder- Supporting Older Persons at Home, March 25
    • COVID-19 vaccine roll-out & hesitancy in Indigenous communities
    • Guidance on phase 2 prioritization for COVID-19 vaccination and more
    • National Newcomer Navigation Network – N4
    • Virtual health care for patients with developmental disabilities- study
    • Excellence through Quality Improvement (E-QIP) Conference
    • Upcoming events including Wise Practices for COVID Vaccinators and more

     

    Cancer screening rockstars needed

    Don’t leave your team’s stories untold!
    In a recent Bits & Pieces, you may have seen Ontario Health (Cancer Care Ontario)’s guidance for resuming breast, cervical and colorectal cancer screening. In collaboration with our primary care partners and Ontario Health (Cancer Care Ontario), we will host a webinar to further explore this document and share stories from teams resuming cancer screening.

    If your team has initiated a cancer screening program to resume and catch up on screening, please fill this member initiative webform to let us know! If you are interested in sharing your story during our webinar, please email Sandeep Gill sandeep.gill@afhto.ca by this Friday, Mar. 26.

    Questions? Email us at improve@afhto.ca 

    Reminder- Supporting Older Persons at Home, March 25

    COVID-19 highlighted numerous barriers and challenges to providing integrated care for older persons living in the community.

    Join Provincial Geriatrics Leadership Ontario in a discussion on how to better support older persons in the community using lessons learned during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.

    We will discuss needs in primary care – focusing on the role of interprofessional teams – and offer some resources and tools to better support team-based care for older persons.

    We will also discuss how specialized geriatric service programs in your area can provide support to primary care clinicians.

    Indigenous vaccine page screenshot

     

    COVID-19 vaccine roll-out & hesitancy in Indigenous communities
    Indigenous communities are prioritized for the COVID-19 vaccine rollout, but the historic reasons for that prioritization-including systemic racism- may also contribute to vaccine hesitancy within the communities.

    In response we have compiled resources from Akausivik Inuit FHT and Sioux Lookout First Nations Health Authority to help combat it. Visit our site for the full list.

     

     

     

     

    Guidance on phase 2 prioritization for COVID-19 vaccination and more

    Recent updates include:

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

    National Newcomer Navigation Network – N4

    N4 is a national network for professionals from Canada’s Healthcare and Social Service sectors to connect, learn and collaborate in their work with newcomers (immigrants and refugees).

    While newcomers make up over 20% of Canadians and face many barriers to receiving care or services, they are often overlooked as needing help to navigate our systems.

    N4 provides a one-stop platform for professional development, education, virtual discussions, networking, and the sharing of data and resources. N4 promotes inter-sectoral collaboration to encourage sharing of expertise, economies of effort, and promotion of leading and best practices in the field of newcomer navigation.

    Membership is free thanks to funding from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). You can become a member here.

    Virtual health care for patients with developmental disabilities- study

    A University of Toronto PhD candidate is currently recruiting for a study on virtual primary care for adults with developmental disabilities. This work is being conducted together with the Azrieli Adult Neurodevelopmental Centre at CAMH.

    The goal is to learn how to deliver high quality virtual care to patients with developmental disabilities, when virtual care is not appropriate, and what supports are needed to be successful. As part of this study they are interviewing primary care providers.

    See the flyer here.

    If anyone is interested in learning more about the study you can contact  avra.selick@camh.ca or 416-535-8501 x30127.

    Save the date april 13, 2021 E-QIP QI Innovations: Understand-Pivot-Change 2021 virtual conference

     

    Excellence through Quality Improvement (E-QIP) Conference

    The Excellence through Quality Improvement Project (E-QIP), Quality Improvement Innovations: Understand-Pivot-Change 2021 Conference will be on Tuesday, April 13, 2021. Hosted by CMHA Ontario, this one-day virtual conference is being offered for FREE.

    It will bring together Ontario’s leading quality improvement experts in the mental health and addiction sector. Visit their site.

     

     

     

     

     

    Wise Practices for COVID Vaccinators, Mar. 23, 2021
    Learn how to actively design and deliver vaccination services to support high quality, safe experiences for Indigenous patients. You’ll walk away with wise practices & strategies for working in a culturally safe & respectful way.
    Find out more here.

    BounceBack refresher webinar, Mar. 25, 2021

    The BounceBack communications and marketing team invites you to a 30-minute refresher presentation on BounceBack, a free CBT skill-building program designed to help individuals 15+ manage low mood, mild to moderate anxiety or depression, stress or worry.

    OHT Virtual Engagement Series Second Session (RISE OHT Webinar), Mar. 25, 2021
    Join the Ministry as they discuss the details around the core components of the OHT Performance Measurement Framework. They’ll be identifying Cohort 1 OHT-selected indicators and OHT evaluation approaches to help you understand OHT evaluation and key measurement supports.
    Learn more here.

    Foundations to QI (IDEAS) Program e-Learning Course, Mar. 31 & Apr. 1, 2021
    E-QIP is holding this comprehensive introductory QI course designed for the community mental health sector. You’ll be well versed in a common language and approach to QI with the aim of improving client care, experience and outcomes after this course.
    Find out more here.

    Lessons from vaccine pilots, evolving guidance, and more, Mar 26, 2021
    The COVID-19 CoP, held by the OCFP and the University of Toronto DFCM, will be discussing lessons learned and new guidance around COVID-19 vaccines and rollout.
    Learn more here.

    ECHO Managing COVID-19 in Primary Care, Starting Apr. 13, 2021
    UHN’s ECHO series is back- now with 12 parts. Join other primary care providers in this interactive online program.
    Find out more here.

  • March 19th Update on COVID-19 Vaccination Roll Out

    Dear Members,
    We are writing to provide you with an update from our united Primary Care COVID-19 Vaccination Collaborative (PC-VAC*). This week’s key messages that we shared with vaccine decision-makers can be found here.  

    The projections from the Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table and Modelling Consensus update on COVID-19 Table on March 11 suggests that vaccination in long-term care has paid off but progress has otherwise stalled. There are increasing concerns about variants of concern (VOC) that are spreading across Ontario and our behaviour over the next few weeks will determine what our summer will look like.

    However, given that VOCs make up nearly half of the confirmed cases being reported and there has been an increase in ICU numbers trending up, the Ontario Hospital Association and the Science Advisory Table have indicated that Ontario has entered a third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.     

    Key Updates:

    Primary Care Vaccination Pilot Community of Practice:
    Together with Ontario Health (OH), the primary care associations have formed a Community of Practice to support those involved in vaccinations in these regions. Initially the CoP will include those participating in the pilot and will scale as other PHUs are included. If you are currently participating in the pilot and would like to join the CoP, you can register for the upcoming series of connecting calls here weekly Thursdays from 8 am to 9 am.

    Resources are available on the Quorum Community Space Primary Care Vaccination Pilot CoP. If you have trouble signing up for Quorum, please message janine.theben@ontariohealth.ca for assistance.

    COVaxON:
    OntarioMD will be providing additional training and onboarding on COVaxON (the vaccine registration system) for clinical providers, initially focused on those who are directly involved in vaccine pilots, including support for technical questions that arise throughout the process. You can register for training directly. A Clinical Workflow Training recording is also available.

    If you are beginning to participate in vaccine administration with your PHU and are not yet connected, below are OMD contacts by existing pilot site:

    COVID-19 Vaccine Eligibility EMR Searches
    Version 1.0 of COVID-19 Vaccine Eligibility EMR Searches are now available, created by the eHealth Centre of Excellence. This work is based on the Vulnerable populations and COVID-19 resource published by the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) and informed by the COVID-19: Vaccines Resource developed by the Centre for Effective Practice (CEP).

    It aims to equip Primary Care with resources for your EMR which will enable you to identify and prioritize ambulatory patients from within your roster who are in greatest need of the COVID-19 Vaccination to avoid negative healthcare outcomes. Version 1.0 of the searches are all available to download right now from our Community site for all three EMRs.

    IMPORTANT: The Province of Ontario has announced the focus for Phase Two of Ontario’s vaccination distribution plan. The list of eligible health conditions provided in this announcement does not align with the Version 1.0 searches currently released by the eHealth Centre of Excellence. Their team is hard at work putting together Version 2.0 of our COVID-19 Vaccine Eligibility EMR Searches which will align with the health conditions listed in the Province’s announcement.

    COVID-19 Vaccination in Canada: an educational series for primary care professionals
    “COVID-19 vaccination in Canada” is now certified for up to 1 Mainpro+® credits.  This self-learning series from DFCM and the Ontario College of Family Physicians is designed to provide primary care professionals with the knowledge and skills to support Canada’s COVID-19 vaccination effort. Added is a new module on viral vector vaccines that includes extensive information on the AstraZeneca vaccine and available information on the Janssen vaccine. There is also updated content throughout the series including on the vaccine rollout, dosing interval and more. To learn more and to register please click here.

    The next COVID-19 Community of Practice for Ontario Family Physicians is on Friday, March 26th from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. and will include dialogue with some of the family physicians involved in the AZ pilot sites. Click here to register.  Previous COVID-19 Community of Practice sessions can be found here.

    New Resources:

    Find resources from previous weeks here.

    Finally, the OMA has relaunched its burnout survey to understand the impact of COVID-19 on physician burnout. Physicians are invited to complete this 5-7 minute survey.

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

    Yours in good health,

    The AFHTO Team

    *Ontario Primary Care COVID-19 Vaccination Collaborative:

    • Alliance for Healthier Communities
    • Association of Family Health Teams of Ontario
    • Indigenous Primary Health Care Council
    • Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinic Association/Nurse Practitioners’ Association of Ontario
    • Ontario College of Family Physicians
    • Ontario Medical Association Section on General and Family Practice
    • Ontario’s Academic Chairs of Family Medicine