Ultimate Blogging Championship

Tag: Library

  • Data to Decisions eBulletin #32: Using EMRs to reflect team’s contribution to care

    Progress with a better measure of 7-day follow-up: As an important first step in measuring what your team REALLY does for follow-up after hospitalization, we are working with our EMR communities of practice to develop queries and processes to track phone encounters in your EMR. Learn more at the links above, and/or talk to your QIDSS. Exploring equity: QIDSS are exploring AFHTO members’ baseline capacity to collect socio-demographic data in EMRs, in order to help track health equity for your patients. Moving beyond measuring to improving diabetes care: AFHTO, in collaboration with Toronto LHINs, is presenting a free learning event for QIDSS, IHPs, and patients with diabetes. Space is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis. Registration opens on Monday, May 2, 2016. D2D data dictionary update: We’re starting to collect input on what changes will be made this year. Members will be asked to vote on potential changes in May 2016, prior to the release of the updated Data Dictionary in June. Visit our site for more information and progress updates. Increase consistency of Schedule A reporting with the help of the Program Planning & Evaluation Framework, Indicator Catalogue, and other resources from AFHTO, designed to help you choose better indicators for your AOP submission.

    Help spread the word about D2D – invite others to sign up for the e-Bulletin online.  Getting too many emails? Scroll to the bottom of the original email for the unsubscribe link.

  • Data to Decisions eBulletin #31: 7-day follow-up indicator changes

    You are not alone in seeing a big drop in your team’s 7-day follow-up. The definition has changed – click here for more information. Need more data for your QIP or AOP?

    • Group-level Primary Care Practice Reports: new version online with more information than was available in December, for those who signed up before October 31st. If you haven’t signed up yet, you can still sign up for the next iteration.
    • AFHTO’s program planning template and indicator catalogue can help you increase consistency in selecting program indicators for your AOP submission.
    • 2015/16 QIP Analyses: Insights into Quality Improvement summary report from last year’s Primary Care QIPs now online (with many success stories).
    • HQO has developed resources to assist you with the new “equity” indicator in the QIP Navigator. If you haven’t received e-mail updates about this, please contact QIP@hqontario.ca.
    • Other quality improvement resources for members are available here.

    AFHTO 2016 Conference: Join a working group to shape the conference program by March 25. THANK YOU for telling us how D2D is working for you. Interviews are underway with Dan Wagner (MSc student). Contact Carol Mulder for more information.

    Help spread the word about D2D – invite others to sign up for the e-Bulletin online.  Getting too many emails? Scroll to the bottom of the original email for the unsubscribe link.

  • Data to Decisions eBulletin #30: Higher quality and lower cost

    News Flash: Patients of higher quality teams have lower healthcare costs! From D2D 3.0 comes concrete evidence that the work you put into quality does make a difference! Early notice that D2D 4.0 is now scheduled for Fall 2016. Watch this space for emerging details. Focus Groups with IHPs – looking beyond measurement to improvement in interprofessional care: IHPs will be sharing their clinical perspectives on how AFHTO can help teams move from measurement to improvement. Some focus groups have already been scheduled, and we are still seeking participants for others. How is D2D working for you? We are currently scheduling interviews between Dan Wagner (MSc student) and EDs/Admin Leads to find out what teams have to say about D2D. Contact Carol Mulder for more information. Quality Improvement Toolkits from Cancer Care Ontario: Toolkits are now available for advance care planning and improving cancer screening for quality improvement planning. Program Planning Tools available online: Program Planning & Evaluation Tools and a newly developed Indicator Catalogue are now available to support teams in completing Schedule A requirements.

    Help spread the word about D2D – invite others to sign up for the e-Bulletin online.  Getting too many emails? Scroll to the bottom of the original email for the unsubscribe link.

  • Higher quality care linked to lower healthcare costs

    The biggest news coming out of D2D 3.0 is the concrete data that higher quality comprehensive, patient-centered care is related to lower healthcare costs.

    Data to Decisions (D2D) is making an impact well beyond what it means to individual teams. 

    In addition to showing teams how they compare to their peers, D2D is making it easier for AFHTO to advocate for how team-based primary care could be measured across the province.  With all the data submitted by members, we can show that measuring in a way that is meaningful and manageable for front-line providers makes a difference.

    What difference does this make to your team?

    Perhaps you and your team will be encouraged to hear the good news that high quality care is related to lower health system costs. The work you put into quality improvement does make a difference. You may also be encouraged by the early evidence from D2D (consistent with other published literature[1] ) that AFHTO members deliver better quality than the rest of the province on average.  The comparison is not totally valid (because of differences in data sources and patient demographics) but it IS a comparison that many are interested in making.  AFHTO is using D2D data to support arguments for a provincial solution for consistent capture of patient experience data as well as easier, more timely access to other important data sources.  Finally, you and your team may also be encouraged that AFHTO now has an even more compelling argument for aligning performance in primary care with what really matters to patients and primary care teams. In the meantime, you may find the quality roll-up indicator useful at the local level (select the “Roll-up” tab at the top of the display).  We have put together some tips for using your results to focus improvement efforts. And if you’d like to spread the good news around, consider sharing this handout with your colleagues. [1] Kiran, T., Victor, J., Kopp, A., Shah, B., & Glazier, R. 2014. The Relationship between Primary Care Models and Processes of Diabetes Care in Ontario. Canadian Journal Of Diabetes, 38(3), 172-178.

  • Re: Update on Compensation Commitment Announced in 2016-17 Provincial Budget 2016-17

    Dear Colleagues

     

    As we all now know, the Government announced in their budget funding for compensation related to interprofessional primary care teams. Specifically, the commitment stated: “To ensure these clinics (CHCs, NPLCs, FHTs, AHACs and nursing stations) can effectively recruit and retain qualified interprofessional staff in primary care settings, Ontario will invest an additional $85 million over three years.”

     

    Yesterday, AOHC, AFHTO and NPAO met with the Ministry primary care team to get a better understanding of the implications of this announcement and to discuss an implementation plan.

     

    This is what we learned:

    • The organizations included in this announcement are AHACs, CHCs, NPLCs, FHTs as well as other primary care organizations and team members such as nursing stations, providers such as social workers hired by family health groups and other funded independent Primary Care NPs.
    •  The funding for year one is effective April 1 2016.
    • The plan is to rollout these funds over 2 years.
    • The $85M is a cumulative amount but the annualized amount is to base and is permanent.

     

    The AFHTO-AOHC-NPAO proposal remains our goal – we continue to advocate to achieve the 2012 recommended salary rates for all staff (IHP and admin) in primary care teams, to be implemented over 4 years. The Ministry recognizes that this $85M commitment is the first step in a process and is committed to working with us to achieve our overall goal. Two years from now, the opportunity for further increases is likely to open up.   The Government is committed to eliminating the deficit by the end of 2017-18 and some of the compensation constraints may be lifted for the following fiscal year. This will provide opportunities to address the remaining gaps.

     

    Given this context, in the first 2 years of this rollout (the $85M), AOHC, AFHTO and NPAO continue to be guided by the principles that our members agreed to in 2012, specifically:

    •  Increasing benefits from 20% to 22.5% to enable HOOPP
    •  Placing all professions in the correct salary band, i.e. band corrections for health promoters, registered dietitians, and nurse practitioners
    • Funding allocations that would equitably close the gap between current rates for each salary band and the 2012 recommended rates for those bands. These salary bands apply to all members of primary care teams.

     

    Next Steps:

    1. Given these principles, the MOHLTC is doing some calculations and developing options.   They have the full information they need for FHTs and NPLCs and are collecting additional information from CHCs and AHACs – specifically the number of FTEs per band.
    2. Once these calculations are completed, the MOHLTC will reconvene with the three associations to discuss next steps.

    The MOHLTC and the three associations are committed to getting you this information as soon as possible; but we need to ensure that we collectively take time to get this right and to ensure the equitable outcomes for all your staff. Please do not hesitate to let us know if you have any further questions or concerns at this time.
    Adrianna Tetley Association of Ontario Health Centres of Ontario Angie Heydon Association of Family Health Teams of Ontario Theresa Agnew Nurse Practitioners’ Association of Ontario

     

  • AFHTO & MOHLTC Joint Webinar: Program Development for FY 2016-17

    AFHTO & the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care have introduced a suite of program planning and evaluation tools, created by AFHTO and the Ministry to assist our member teams in developing programs for the 2016-17 fiscal

    • Program Planning & Evaluation Framework [PDF]: developed jointly between AFHTO member ED Work Group and the Ministry, the framework is intended to be a guide for FHTs and NPLCs to use when developing new or evaluating current programs, and to help promote the delivery of effective programs. The Framework will be a valuable reference to support teams in completing their program reporting requirements.
    • Indicator Catalogue [opens an Excel spreadsheet]: the indicator catalogue is another supportive guide developed for FHTs/NPLCs to use when selecting meaningful measures for their programs that are based on clinical guidelines. The catalogue will enable teams to find sample indicators that can be used to measure progress on specific objectives and select indicators that align most appropriately with the goals of their programs.

    These were presented in a webinar offered in two sessions, Wednesday, February 24, 2016 and Tuesday, March 1, 2016. The March 1 session was recorded and can be found here, along with the presentation slide deck and a number of other resources which were designed for use with the Framework and Catalogue.

  • Data to Decisions eBulletin #29: Quality Improvement focus groups with IHPs

    Moving beyond measurement to improvement in interprofessional care – Focus groups with IHPs are being set up now – please visit our site for more information and pass this on to your IHPs. How is D2D working for you? AFHTO is partnering with Dan Wagner (MSc student) and Dr. Noah Ivers to find out so invitations for interviews will be sent in the coming weeks. Contact Carol Mulder for more information. Questions about “time spent delivering care”? See the videos featuring comments by FHT doctors Rob Annis and Sean Blaine. Sean is AFHTO President and Rob serves as AFHTO Treasurer and Chair of the Physician Leadership Council. More QIP webinars from HQO – ‘Beginners Education on submitting QIPS’ and ‘QIP Conversations’ will be held on various dates in February and March. Webinars on Program Planning, Indicator Catalogue and Schedule A reporting requirements– Register and pick the session you wish to attend: February 24th 2:00-3:30 pm OR March 1st 12:00-1:30pm. Join a mental health and addictions community of practice– deadline to join ECHO Ontario Mental Health (a partnership between CAMH and University of Toronto) is February 26th, 2016.

    Help spread the word about D2D – invite others to sign up for the e-Bulletin online.  Getting too many emails? Scroll to the bottom of the original email for the unsubscribe link.

  • New privacy tools available for AFHTO members

    As you know, the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario (IPC/O) has provided further guidance as to their expectations for Health Information Custodians, specifically with respect to physician practices and Family Health Teams. To assist our members in understanding and meeting the new privacy criteria, we have partnered with DDO Law to provide our members with FREE Privacy Training & Tools. On January 27 and February 3, 2016, nearly 150 EDs and Board Chairs of AFHTO member teams attended privacy training webinars. The webinars were recorded and have been posted on AFHTO’s Members Only website for those who wish to review and share them.

    A compilation of privacy tools is available on the AFHTO website. New resources have been posted to answer your privacy questions and guide you in updating your privacy policies:

    For more information, please contact Bryn Hamilton, Provincial Lead for Governance & Leadership at AFHTO.

  • Data to Decisions eBulletin #28: Are you a high-performing team?

    ONLY THREE MORE DAYS to complete the QI capacity survey. Help answer the question: “what does it take to be a really high performing team?” You can also see the valuable information generated by previous versions of the survey. Check out the launch of D2D 3.0 and review the overall results from you and your peers. Here are some ideas to help get you started with using D2D to improve – including a video for your team/board presentations.  d2d interactive report-2016-02-04

    Help spread the word about D2D – invite others to sign up for the e-Bulletin online.  Getting too many emails? Scroll to the bottom of the original email for the unsubscribe link.

  • D2D 3.0 Launch – Orientation Webinar

    D2D 3.0 Orientation Webinars were held on February 1, 2016

    AFHTO is pleased to announce the launch of D2D 3.0. Thank you to all teams who contributed to the report and are helping to advance manageable, meaningful, measurement in primary care. The purpose of these webinars is to familiarize members with the interactive display of the D2D 3.0 report, including how to access the report, reviewing your team’s data, comparing to different peer groups and key messages emerging from the data. Click here to see the D2D 3.0 interactive report.