Ultimate Blogging Championship

Tag: Health Promotion & CDPM

  • 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.

  • Bits & Pieces: 8 new OHTs announced, Pfizer for 5-11 yr-olds and more

    Bits & Pieces: 8 new OHTs announced, Pfizer for 5-11 yr-olds and more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In This Issue  
    • Eight new OHTs announced
    • Virtual funding opportunities for primary care materials available
    • Malnutrition in primary care: sum zero slides and video available
    • Pfizer for 5-11 yr olds, 3rd dose recommendations, medical exemptions and more
    • Upcoming events regarding cyber security and more

    Eight new OHTs announced
    Congratulations to the eight new Ontario Health Teams and to our member teams that are engaged and participating in the development of OHTs. You can see the full list here.

    If you’re in one of these OHTs and you don’t see your team listed, please let us know.

    Virtual funding webinar title slide

    Virtual funding opportunities for primary care materials available

    On Sep. 16 we held a webinar with Ontario Health to provide information and answer questions about FY2021-22 digital and virtual care provincial funding opportunities for Ontario Health Teams (OHTs) and In Development Team, including support for online appointment booking and virtual primary care projects. Slides, video and resources, including proposal templates are now available.

     

    Malnutrition in primary care webinar title slide

    Malnutrition in primary care: sum zero slides and video available

    On Sep. 20 we held a webinar where attendees gained a greater awareness of prevalence of malnutrition in primary care and the impact of undiagnosed malnutrition on quality of life, health outcomes and health care dollars.

    Slides and video are now available.

    Pfizer for 5-11 yr olds, 3rd dose recommendations, medical exemptions and more

    Recent updates include:

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

    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. Register here.

    Cyber Security conference – Building Cyber Resilience: Securing Ontario’s Public Sector, Oct. 6, 2021
    Hosted by: Cyber Security Division, Ministry of Government and Consumer Services. Find out more here.

    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

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

    Ontario Not-for-Profit Corporations Act: What Directors Need to Know, Oct. 21, 2021
    Complimentary education session for Senior Leaders and Boards of Directors on ONCA by Miller Thomson’s Health Industry Group. Register here.

    NB: AFHTO is also working on an ONCA 101 session specifically for members. Details TBA.

    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.

  • 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.

  • Order Printed Cancer Screening Awareness Materials by Sept 3rd for your Team

    Content below developed by Ontario Health

    Dear members,

    As you know, Ontario’s health care system has been significantly impacted by COVID-19, including preventive care like cancer screening. Ontario Health runs the province’s organized cancer screening programs, the Ontario Breast Screening Program (OBSP), the Ontario Cervical Screening Program (OCSP) and ColonCancerCheck (CCC). Since March 2020, all three programs have seen a decrease in the number of tests completed, compared to pre-pandemic.   

    Ontario’s primary care providers play an important role in cancer screening. To help support you and your patients get caught up on cancer screening tests, Ontario Health will be sharing a cancer screening awareness tool-kit.

    The tool-kit has digital and print options that include materials like key messages that can be used for emails or newsletters, social media content, slides for digital screens in offices. This email is to provide information to Association of Family Health teams of Ontario (AFHTO) members who wish to order print materials – more information will be shared in the coming weeks about how you can access the digital tool-kit.

    Printed cancer screening awareness materials
    Ontario Health develops materials to support partners and providers in raising awareness of the importance of cancer screening for all three of our organized programs. Breast Cancer Awareness Month is in October, as is Cervical Cancer Awareness Week and Colon Cancer Awareness Month is in March. Though developed for these awareness months/week, the materials can be used at any time.  

    Posters (8.5 x 11 inches) and postcards (5 x 7 inches) are being made available to print and ship to AFHTO members that would like copies. A colorectal cancer fact sheet can also be ordered. These are available at no charge to members. Materials are available in English and French, and the top 10 languages based on the most recent census data (for a list, see the URL below for the ordering form).

    If your practice would like to order materials, please use the following link to access the order form: https://forms.office.com/r/zZtQ4mhmGG . The form provides an image of each product and allows you to select a quantity in each language offered. You will need to provide contact and mailing information.

    Please complete the form by September 3rd, 2021 at 6pm. Materials are expected to be delivered by the end of September/early October.

    If you have any questions, please reach out to Ontario Health at primarycareinquiries@ontariohealth.ca.

  • Bits & Pieces: last chance for Bright Lights, member stories and more

    Bits & Pieces: last chance for Bright Lights, member stories and more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In This Issue  
    • Bright Lights nomination deadline this Friday, Aug. 27
    • Member stories
    • Memo re unused doses, tracking COVID-19 through race-based data and more
    • Call for the government to implement vaccine certificates
    • ECHO Ontario Autism registration open
    • Upcoming events regarding election strategy and more

    Bright Lights nomination deadline this Friday, Aug. 27

    Don’t wait until the last minute to shine a light on your team’s achievements. You can nominate an outstanding team or individual for a “Bright Lights” Award even if:

    1. You’re a small, rural, or Northern team- we have an award dedicated to you.
    2. Your team has already won a Bright Lights Award- you just need to nominate a new program or individual
    3. You’re not sure if it’s eligible- just ask! Email info@afhto.ca or call 647-234-8605 x1200. We’re here to help!

    Two awards also have education grants! The deadline is this Friday, August 27, 2021. Find out more here.

    Health For All c19-vaccines Mar-Jul 2021

     

     

     

    Member stories

    Health For All FHT– COVID-19 vaccines March- July 2021 infographic

    North York FHT- ‘Getting to the last 20 per cent is challenging.’ Why a mobile health team is bringing COVID-19 vaccines to the hidden unvaccinated

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Memo re unused doses, tracking COVID-19 through race-based data and more

    Recent updates include:

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

    Call for the government to implement vaccine certificates

    The Alliance for Healthier Communities, the Association of Family Health Teams of Ontario, and the Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinic Association strongly encourage all Ontarians to protect themselves and others against COVID-19 by getting the vaccine and call on the government to implement vaccine certificates. Read the full news release here.

    ECHO Ontario Autism registration open

    The ECHO Autism program, at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, is now registering paediatricans, family physicians and nurse practitioners for their September 2021 to June 2022 sessions. Funded by the Ministry of Health, this free online program provides training that will help screen, diagnose, and manage children and youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). MOC credits awarded.

    Other health team members, including occupational therapists and psychologists, are also welcome to attend sessions as observers. For more information, visit their site or email Salina Eldon seldon@hollandbloorview.ca.

    Member Consultation Forum on Election Strategy, Sep. 15, 2021

    The 2022 provincial election is fast approaching, and we need to hear from you! Register here.

    The Canadian/Global COVID-19 Policy Response, Sep. 1, 2021
    Lung Health Foundation & McMaster’s Global Nexus Policy Forum, moderated by Heather Bakken, Deputy Publisher and VP, Business Development, iPolitics.ca Register here.

    COVID@Home Monitoring for Primary Care Connecting Call, Sep. 8, 2021
    Hosted by Ontario Health, the webinar will cover some thoughts on the QI evaluation to date, review any new or emerging evidence and discuss the groups needs moving forward. Find out more here.

    ECHO Care of the Elderly (COE): Community series, Sep. 15- Dec. 15, 2021
    Hosted by Baycrest Health Sciences, in partnership with North East Specialized Geriatric Centre. Apply here.

    ECHO UHN FALL Programs, starting Sep. 2, 2021
    Multiple weekly series include Chronic Pain & Opioid Stewardship, Rheumatology, Liver, Concussion and Managing COVID-19. Register here

    Mood Disorders: Comprehensive and Realistic Strategies for Primary Care, Sep. 13 and 17
    Hosted by OCFP. Register 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.

  • QI in Action eBulletin #109: Cancer Screening during the Pandemic and Onwards

    QI in Action eBulletin #109: Cancer Screening during the Pandemic and Onwards

    In this Issue:

    • Cancer Screening during the Pandemic and Onwards
    • Tip Sheets for Primary Care Providers
    • Breast Screening
    • Cervical Screening
    • Colorectal Cancer Screening
    • Ontario Health’s Screening Activity Report
    • EMR Tips to Help you Resume Cancer Screening
    • Upcoming Webinars

    Cancer Screening during the Pandemic and Onwards

    Check out our recent Cancer Screening during the Pandemic and Onwards webinar co-hosted by AFHTO, The Alliance for Healthier Communities, the Ontario College of Family Physicians, the Nurse Practitioner Led Clinics Association and Ontario Health, hosted on June 21, 2021.

    Learn some practical tips and examples on resuming cancer screening from our speakers:

    • Dr. Ed Kucharski, Family Physician, Regional Primary Care Lead (Toronto Central)
    • Dr. Jennifer Rayner, Director of Research and Evaluation, Alliance for Healthier Communities
    • Diana Noel, Executive Director, Village Family Health Team
    • Teresa Wetselaar, NP, West Parry Sound Health Centre
    • Dr. Neil Naik, Family Physician, Interim Regional Primary Care Lead (Waterloo Wellington)

    Cancer screening webinar title slide

    Content below developed by Ontario Health (Cancer Care Ontario)

    Tip Sheets for Primary Care Providers

    Ontario’s health care system has been significantly impacted by COVID-19 and these impacts will be felt for a while. Cancer screening was paused in March 2020 because of the pandemic, and gradually started to resume after the Chief Medical Officer of Health’s Directive 2 for healthcare providers was amended in late May 2020.

    Ontario Health (Cancer Care Ontario) runs the province’s organized cancer screening programs, the Ontario Breast Screening Program (OBSP), the Ontario Cervical Screening Program (OCSP) and ColonCancerCheck (CCC). Ontario Health released Tip Sheets on gradually starting up breast, colorectal and cervical screening in June 2020, and most recently, has updated and streamlined the Tip Sheet for primary care providers. Tip Sheets have also been developed for OBSP sites, colposcopy, and endoscopy. Guidance in the Tip Sheets is based on the best available evidence as well as expert opinion.

    As we begin the process of system recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, here are some tips based on Ontario Health’s guidance to help you make decisions about how to resume screening for your patients. Please contact Ontario Health if you have any questions: cancerinfo@ontariohealth.ca.

    1 in 8 women will get breast cancer in her lifetime

    Breast Screening
    For most people at average risk of breast cancer, routine breast screening is a mammogram every two years for people ages 50 to 74.  If capacity is limited in your area, OBSP sites have been asked to focus on the following groups and you can support by encouraging these patients to be screened:

    • High Risk OBSP participants
    • People at average risk who have never been screened before
    • Average risk participants who have been told to rescreen in one year

    The Ontario Health (Cancer Care Ontario) website has more information on the current routine breast cancer screening guidelines.

    Know the facts- cervical cancer is almost always preventable

    Cervical Screening
    If someone comes to your office and they are due for cervical screening, the OCSP suggests screening them. Routine cervical screening every three years with cervical cytology (Pap test) is recommended for people with a cervix. While formal OCSP guidelines currently recommend starting screening at age 21, Ontario Health encourages primary care providers to start cervical screening for patients at age 25 in alignment with best new evidence.  

    OCSP guidelines will be formally updated with the implementation of human papillomavirus (HPV) testing in the OCSP. Routine cervical screening can stop at age 70 for people with three or more normal cytology tests in the previous 10 years.

    If you are unable to provide routine cervical screening, people at elevated risk for cervical cancer should be prioritized because they need annual screening. Examples of people at elevated risk include anyone who is:

    • Discharged from colposcopy with persistent low-grade cytology
    • Discharged from colposcopy with an HPV-positive test and a normal or low-grade cytology
    • Immunocompromised (e.g., HIV positive)

    Colposcopy services have also resumed. To make sure people at the highest risk for cervical cancer are able to get timely colposcopy appointments, it is recommended that primary care providers refer patients with:

    • a single high grade cytologic abnormality (e.g., HSIL+, AIS) or
    • two consecutive low grade cytologic abnormalities (e.g., LSIL, ASCUS).

    Patients with a single low grade cytologic abnormality should be re-screened in primary care in approximately 12 months with cytology. As a reminder, any patient that is positive for HPV strains 16 or 18 should be referred to colposcopy, regardless of cytology result.

    Colorectal Cancer Screening

    9 out of 10 people can be cured if colon cancer is caught early

    Routine screening with the fecal immunochemical test (FIT) should be done every two years for people ages 50 to 74 with no first-degree relatives diagnosed with colorectal cancer. 
    If you have limited capacity for screening, CCC recommends focusing your screening efforts on people over the age of 60.

    Here are some tips for sending in FIT requisitions to prevent delays:

     

    fit for colon cancer

    • Please do not batch fax requisitions as this can lead to errors and subsequent delays
    • Ensure that your patient’s mailing address information is correct including apartment numbers
    • Do not send repeat orders until at least 4 to 6 weeks have passed to allow for processing and mailing time
    • To request a replacement kit for your patient, ensure that the replacement kit checkbox near the top of the requisition is marked and submit the new requisition to LifeLabs

    Referrals to colonoscopy can also be resumed, especially for patients with an abnormal FIT result, patients who are at increased risk for colorectal cancer, or patients who are eligible for post-polypectomy surveillance with colonoscopy.

    As a reminder, patients with a previous low risk adenomas (1 to 2 tubular adenoma(s) <10mm in diameter with no high-grade dysplasia) should return to average risk screening with FIT five years after their colonoscopy instead of continued surveillance with colonoscopy. You can find out more about the current colorectal cancer screening recommendations on our website.

    Ontario Health’s Screening Activity Report
    The Screening Activity Report (SAR) is an online tool available to primary care physicians who practice as part of a patient enrolment model (PEM), or to non-patient enrolment model physicians and nurses who practice in the Sioux Lookout Municipality and Sioux Lookout Zone (27 First Nation communities).

    The SAR provides screening data for breast, cervical and colorectal cancers and can help to improve screening participation by identifying patients who are eligible for screening or require follow-up tests. Physicians can also view a comparison of their screening rates to other registered PEM physicians in their region.

    As we recover from COVID-19 in the coming months, and catch up on preventive care like cancer screening, a tool like the SAR can support your practice. The SAR uses ONE® ID to authenticate users; for more information on how to register visit our website.

     

    SAR chart and graph

    EMR Tips to Help you Resume Cancer Screening
    In fall 2020, Ontario Health partnered with OntarioMD on a blog on EMR tips to help primary care start to screen patients again for cancer. The blog includes tips to identify higher-priority patients for cancer screening in your EMR systems and can be found here.

    Upcoming Webinars:

    In Case You Missed It: Check out eBulletin #108 or other back issues here!
    Questions? Comments? Contact us at improve@afhto.ca.

  • 2021 Conference Themes

    2021 Conference Themes

    Tectonic shifts: rebuilding primary care in a new world
    (more…)

  • Bits & Pieces: 2022 election priorities, free bot to document vaccines and more

    Bits & Pieces: 2022 election priorities, free bot to document vaccines and more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In This Issue  
    • 2022 Election Priorities: seeking members’ input
    • AFHTO statement on racism and hate
    • Reminder- Cancer screening during the pandemic and onwards, June 21
    • Nominations to the AFHTO Board of Directors open until July 30
    • Free bot to help document vaccinations and more
    • Update on the Ontario Structured Psychotherapy Program slides and video
    • COVID-19 Education with Daniel Warshafsky webinar materials
    • New regulation to streamline reporting requirements under OHSA
    • Oxygen saturation monitors still available
    • Seeking dietitians’ input -nutrition screening in primary and community care
    • Upcoming events regarding geriatric clinical pharmacology and more

    2022 Election Priorities: seeking members’ input

    The provincial election is fast approaching! Election day will be on or before June 2, 2022 – less than a year away.

    We will continue to be strongly advocating for expansion of team-based primary care, and we want your input to ensure we are effectively advocating for you and with you.

    We ask all members complete this survey to share your priorities. We want to hear from you all: executive directors/admin leads, board members, physicians, nurse practitioners, IHPs, QIDSS, admin staff! This will only take about 5-10 minutes of your time, and the results will be kept confidential.

    Please click here to complete the survey!

    Please complete this by tomorrow, June 16. We will be taking the feedback to our board of directors at their board meeting next week. 

    AFHTO statement on racism and hate
    We want to start by expressing our grief and sorrow about the tragic and horrifying events of the last few weeks, recognizing that racism and hate has been part of Canada since its inception. We are committed to working with our partners and allies to listen, learn, grow, and do better at creating a more equitable and safer country for all. You can read AFHTO’s statement here.

    Reminder – Cancer screening during the pandemic and onwards, June 21

    In collaboration with our primary care partners and Ontario Health (Cancer Care Ontario), we will be hosting a webinar to further explore guidance for resuming breast, cervical and colorectal cancer screening and share stories from teams that have already resumed cancer screening.

    Register here.

    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. Given the composition of the continuing board members, priority for the directors to be elected will be given to candidates who are:

    • Executive Directors, especially those actively involved in their Ontario Health Team (OHT) development and supporting integrated care in their community;
    • Interprofessional Health Care Providers, especially those actively involved in OHT development;
    • Members from Central Ontario Health Region;
    • Board members, especially community members in the position of Chair of the Board; or
    • Experienced in finance, including accreditation as a financial professional (e.g., CA, CPA, CMA);

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

    Free bot to help document vaccinations and more

    Recent updates include:

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

    Update on the Ontario Structured Psychotherapy Program title slide

    Update on the Ontario Structured Psychotherapy Program slides and video

    The Mental Health and Addictions Centre of Excellence at Ontario Health invited primary care organizations to a webinar on June 10 to learn more about the Ontario Structured Psychotherapy (OSP) Program’s background, the vision of OSP as a provincial program, and next steps with the expansion. Slides and video now available on our site.

     

    COVID-19 Education with Daniel Warshafsky webinar slide

    COVID-19 Education with Daniel Warshafsky webinar materials
    On June 9th Dr. Daniel Warshafsky, Associate Chief Medical Officer of Health at the Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health covered key questions, including variants of concern, AstraZeneca and mixing of vaccines, breakthrough cases and emerging evidence around vaccination for children 12-17 years old. Nicole Blackman, Provincial Director at the Indigenous Primary Health Care Council, discussed why Indigenous people were prioritized to receive vaccines. Resources include:

    New regulation to streamline reporting requirements under OHSA
    A new regulation under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) will come into effect on July 1, 2021: Ontario Regulation 420 / 21 – Notices and Reports under Sections 51 to 53.1 of the Act – Fatalities, Critical Injuries, Occupational Illnesses and Other Incidents– EN and FR.

    The new regulation incorporates the critical injury definition and streamlines reporting requirements into a single regulation that applies to all workplaces covered under the OHSA. The amending regulations include:

    • O. Reg. 427/21: HEALTH CARE AND RESIDENTIAL FACILITIES –EN and FR

    Oxygen saturation monitors still available

    Oxygen saturation monitors are still available free of charge for primary care providers. Please be sure to order yours before the end of June!  Every primary care provider can benefit from having these in their practice and for distribution to patients you may be monitoring with COVID, but also for other conditions (e.g., COPD).  These monitors will then belong to your practice – you do not need to return them to the Ministry of Health. Link to ordering survey HERE. Monitors usually arrive within 2-3 days after requesting. For questions, please contact OH_COVIDatHome@ontariohealth.ca. For a link to the one-pager with all the resource you need for monitoring COVID patients visit HERE.

    Seeking dietitians’ input -nutrition screening in primary and community care
    Professor Heather Keller (University of Waterloo), Marg Alfieri (Primary Care Dietitians Association) and the Primary Care working group of the Canadian Malnutrition Task Force are conducting a survey to determine what models of nutrition screening have been implemented in primary and community care, the reach of these efforts and for those who have yet to start screening, the challenges they are experiencing. This data will be used to launch further research on the outcomes and benefits of different nutrition screening models and further investigate how to support implementation of nutrition screening in the community. Get additional information and complete survey here.

    Geriatric Clinical Pharmacology and GeriMedRisk: drug safety for older adults beyond “Start Low, Go Slow”, June 24

    Co-hosted with GeriMedRisk, in this webinar, Dr. Ho will review the pharmacology of aging and its impact on adverse drug events among seniors. We’ll also explore tools and services for primary care providers to use to optimize drug safety. Register here.

    NACI Recommendations On COVID-19 Vaccine Interchangeability, June 21, 2021 *NEW DATE*
    Join PHAC as they discuss evidence around interchangeability of COVID-19 vaccines, as well as NACI recommendations for interchangeability of COVID-19 vaccines.
    Learn more here.

    Applying an Equity Lens when Caring for your Population, June 17, 2021

    This RISE OHT webinar will be based on a PHM approach, deep diving into co-designing care models for different priority populations.
    Learn more here.

    Primary Care Vaccination QI Support CoP, June 17 & July 8, 2021
    Join PCPs, EDs & clinical managers from AFHTO, AHC & NPLCA to share learnings, tools and strategies to deliver COVID-19 vaccines in Ontario.
    Find out more here.

    COVID-19 CoP, June 18, 2021
    Join the OCFP’s COVID-19 CoP where they will be discussing “Getting to herd immunity: addressing children, confidence, and complacency”.
    Find out more here.

    Evaluating Integrated Care: How should we be evaluating integrated care? June 22, 2021
    Join the HSPN, IFIC Canada and Emerald Publishing as they discuss evaluation of integrated care both at a local and health system level.
    Register here.