Ultimate Blogging Championship

Tag: Members Only News

  • D2D 6.0 Submission platform now open. Submit your data by September 13!

    The submission platform for D2D 6.0 is open; it will close at 5pm on September 13th. The updated interactive report will be launched in early October. Watch for an announcement in the eBulletin! You may be among the 90% of teams that have done D2D before. It’s worth doing again. Through D2D, you can track your progress; help all members learn from each other; and last, but not least, demonstrate the value of teams. As always, D2D is a come-as-you-are party; you can enter data for as many (or as few) indicators as are manageable and meaningful to your team. Visit the updated D2D Planning and Preparation page for resources to get your team’s data ready to submit. Contact improve@afhto.ca if your team needs help.

    What’s new?

    We’ve made some minor changes to the indicator questions to help keep D2D manageable and meaningful.

    • We’ve reduced the number of questions for the Team Profile
    • In response to provincial and AFHTO membership priorities, we’ve added a new question on high-dose opioid dispensing. Look for it within the Team Profile section of the submission platform!
    • To make the patient-experience indicators more meaningful, we’re asking for the sample size for your patient experience survey questions.
    • To match changes made by HQO to the myPractice reports, we’re now excluding palliative care patients from the calculation of certain indicators.
    • Research contribution: Nearly two-thirds of teams tell us they’re leaning towards sharing their ANONYMIZED data with our research partners at Queen’s University. Talk with your board and team leadership about this so you will be ready to say “yes” when asked for your team’s consent on the data-submission platform.
    • You’ll be able to view performance on individual components of Diabetes Care and EMR Data Quality composite indicators.
    • We’ll show you the top five unmasked performers and top five unmasked improvers for each of the core indicators.

    Nearly three-quarters of teams are either unmasked already or planning to do so for D2D 6.0. Please consider doing the same. Unmasking makes it easier for AFHTO members to talk with each other about what they are doing to improve quality of care and demonstrate the value of team-based primary care. This is what we all want!

    Ways to make D2D submission easier:

     D2D data is your data, and it tells your story. Data about individual teams is never shared externally. Questions? Comments? We’d love to hear from you!

  • Moving from a Culture of Measurement to a Culture of Improvement

    Summary from the Board visioning exercise on the next level of D2D| May 30th, 2018

      As an organization, AFHTO has led the primary care sector provincially over the last 4 years in the development of a culture of measurement across the membership, not only because of D2D but also through QIDSS support and good governance. There are countless examples of successful Quality Improvement in our member teams. Nonetheless, performance at the aggregate provincial level has held steady over the past four years of our progress in measurement. The Board recognizes that it is now time to accelerate Ontario’s primary care improvement strategy by driving improvement initiatives at the provincial level. Tied to that, the Board also recognizes a need to expand the support already provided for measurement to more robustly support the improvement efforts of members. With this in mind, the AFHTO Board held a facilitated session on May 30th, 2018. The goal was to take D2D to the next level, taking into account the input of AFHTO members from two consultation sessions earlier in May. We emerged with a renewed vision for D2D. Our renewed vision: We will move to a culture of data-driven improvement across the primary care sector – a culture that is nimble, provincial, regional, and also, as always, local. AFHTO’s Board invites teams to make this vision a reality in two ways:

    1. Demonstrate the capacity of teams for higher performance. Work together to establish a collective improvement focus on one indicator. When all teams work together on this one indicator (chosen through member input), we can achieve better outcomes relative our baseline and relative to the rest of the primary care sector.
    2. Demonstrate the capacity of teams for sustained improvement. Work together to identify a small number of areas for improvement that matter to front line providers. Celebrating our ability to make sustained progress is just as important as being able to show high performance.

    AFHTO’s Board invites its secretariat to support members in achieving this vision through the following enablers:

    • Enable transparent measurement reporting.
    • Advocate for front line support for QI, leveraging the strong relationships internally (within and between our teams) and externally with like-minded provincial organizations.
    • Develop a process for reporting sustained improvement, not just performance, via D2D.
    • Foster a “learning” mindset that learns and grows from every effort, successful or not.
    • With external partners, assemble and share roadmaps for quality to guide teams to the processes and resources needed to support change.
    • Advocate for receptivity of funders to work alongside AFHTO members to co-design the potential of future accountability agreements with primary care teams (e.g. LHIN MSAAs).

    AFHTO’s Board is asking teams to respond to this online survey to help choose areas in which to focus our efforts, so we can demonstrate performance and improvement. In order to ensure that all teams are equally represented, we ask that each team’s ED or someone designated by the ED complete the survey. Members who complete the survey will be helping the AFHTO board in the following ways:

    • Picking a winner:

    AFHTO’s Board needs to know which one indicator we can pick that all AFHTO members can work on together to not only measure but improve performance. With all members working on this one measure, there is a better chance that we can demonstrate higher performance of teams in the next cycle of D2D.

    • Building a farm team:

    AFHTO members are already moving the needle on local measures that are important to them and their patients. We want to know what these measures are. AFHTO staff will then compile a roadmap and toolkit of resources for the most promising recruits for the “farm team”. At that point (probably Feb 2019), members will be invited to pick 3 areas important to them and report on their progress (not their performance). This will make sure we focus on our ability to improve (which is considerable!) as well as our ability to perform.

    • Unmasking:

    When you can talk to someone who is truly like you, the tips and tricks you share are more likely to be useful to you. But don’t take our word for it – talk to the teams who have already unmasked to find out how this is working for them. Consider what your team’s timeline is for unmasking your data in D2D. Remember that team-level data in D2D is only for AFHTO members so you are only unmasking yourselves to your fellow members, not to the world.

    A high-level timeline for implementing this vision is outlined below, subject to input from members and steering committees charged with doing the work needed to make this happen.  

  • Bits & Pieces: opioid de-implementation webinar, ‘baby-friendly’ Two Rivers FHT, 2018/19 expansion, & more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    Webinar: De-Implementation of High-Risk Opioid Prescribing and Use

     

    Please join us on Monday, May 7th for an interactive webinar discussion about the provincial opioid de-implementation project, featuring the project leads Dr. Peter Selby and Dr. Alexia Jaouich from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). The opioid de-implementation initiative will support team-based primary care organizations in responding to Ontario’s opioid crisis.

     

    Led by CAMH, in partnership with AFHTO and other partners, this project will help teams provide better care to patients who live with chronic pain or opioid use. By engaging subject matter experts and developing a systems-level approach to prescribing in primary care, this project aims to improve opioid management in Canada.

     

    Date and Time: Monday, May 7, 2018/12:00 PM – 1:00 PM

    Presenters: Dr. Peter Selby & Dr. Alexia Jaouich Register here.  

    In this Issue

    Webinar: De-Implementation of High-Risk Opioid Prescribing and Use

     

    Two Rivers FHT awarded with baby-friendly initiative accreditation

     

    The 2018 provincial election campaign starts next week!

     

    Expansion of Team-Based Care FY2018/19

     

    Celebrating Doctors’ Day

     

    AFHTO 2018 Conference abstracts due this Friday

     

    Privacy resources and updates

     

    Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care news

     

    Upcoming webinars and events on workplace mental health and more
    Two Rivers FHT awarded with baby-friendly initiative accreditation

     

    L-R- Brittany Patterson, Lactation Consultant, Marge LaSalle, The Breastfeeding Committee for Canada, Kim Lichty, Retired Lactation Consultant, Chris Cassolato, Executive Director, and Kathryn McGarry, MPP for Cambridge L-R- Brittany Patterson, Lactation Consultant, Marge LaSalle, The Breastfeeding Committee for Canada, Kim Lichty, Retired Lactation Consultant, Chris Cassolato, Executive Director, and Kathryn McGarry, MPP for Cambridge

    		 Plaque presented to Two Rivers FHT by The Breastfeeding Committee for Canada Plaque presented to Two Rivers FHT by The Breastfeeding Committee for Canada
    On Friday, April 27, Two Rivers FHT received accreditation as a Baby-Friendly organization. The certification makes it the first FHT in Ontario and the first facility of its kind in Canada to be designated as “baby-friendly” by the Breastfeeding Committee of Canada, the national authority for World Health Organization-Unicef’s Baby Friendly Initiative. Read the article here.

    The 2018 provincial election campaign starts next week!

     

    Ontario’s election is expected to be called on or around May 9th with the election day being June 7th. Last week’s Government Relations webinar walked through the current political landscape, ways of working to ensure our messages reach politicians and the public, and AFHTO’s election strategy.The webinar, along with a toolkit, deck, and printable brochure we will soon provide, will help you advocate to your local candidates to ensure all political parties hear our priorities and commit to supporting team-based primary health care.You can see the presentation and listen to the webinar here. 

    		 AFHTO Vice President Beth Cowper-Fung of Georgina NPLC speaking to PC candidate Caroline Mulroney about the importance of team-based care

    AFHTO Vice President Beth Cowper-Fung of Georgina NPLC speaking to PC candidate Caroline Mulroney about the importance of team-based care.
    Expansion of Team-Based Care FY2018/19 The following members have been approved to expand their primary care service and program delivery in their community in this upcoming year:
    • Atikokan FHT
    • Couchiching FHT
    • Delhi FHT
    • Dryden Area FHT
    • Dufferin Area FHT
    • Essex County NPLC
    • Fort Frances FHT
    • Greenstone FHT
    • Health For All FHT
    • Niagara Medical Group FHT
    • North Peel FHT
    • North Simcoe FHT
    • Rapids FHT
    • Sunset Country FHT
    • Windsor FHT
    New FHTs have also been announced:

    • Madawaska Valley FHT
    • Rideau St. Lawrence FHT
    • Hopital de Mattawa Hospital Inc.

    Expansion of other NPLCs were also announced:

    • North Bay NPLC
    • Sudbury District NPLC

     

    FY 2017/18 expansion was already announced. Those teams are listed here. AFHTO is exploring the idea of starting a community of practice for the teams that are undergoing expansion so stay tuned for more details related to that.

    Celebrating Doctors’ Day

    Today we celebrate Doctors’ Day with the Ontario Medical Association with the launch of the ‘Defining Moments’ series, telling physicians’ personal stories highlighting memorable moments in their careers. Join us in celebrating by tweeting your own moments and those of your colleagues using #DefiningMoments and #LoveMyMD. Learn more here.   

    AFHTO 2018 Conference abstracts due this Friday

    The Ontario election is fast approaching, and we may see significant changes in health care over the next four years. Whichever party wins, given the competition for resources, time and attention, primary health care needs to tell our stories and highlight our value to communities across Ontario. The deadline to submit abstracts for concurrent sessions and posters is May 4, 2018 at 5:00 PM (EDT). If you have any questions about the submission process or want to know if your work is a good fit, email info@afhto.ca or call 647-234-8605x 200. We’d be happy to help.

    Privacy resources and updates

    On April 10 and 23, privacy webinars were held with speaker Kate Dewhirst from Kate Dewhirst Health Law. The focus was data sharing with affiliated physicians, as well as privacy updates. The slide decks, videos, and other resources are here.We have also created a privacy resource page, which includes a list of privacy resources for teams using automated patient contact systems. More information is here.

    Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care news

     

    Situation reports on opioid crisis: situation reports #28 and #29 now available. 

    ECHO evening series: Opioid Tapering and Hep B in primary care, May 7 & 31, 2018

    ECHO continues to offer videoconference sessions to support primary care providers with complex and chronic conditions, such as chronic pain/opioids, liver diseases, rheumatology, and mental health and addictions.They have two upcoming evening series to accommodate care providers who can’t join the weekday sessions. The series are on May 7 and May 31. These are ECHO Ontario CME accredited sessions, and there is no fee. Register here.

    Is Your Team Ready? New Amendments to Non-Profit Governance, May 11, 2018

    We will be hosting a webinar in partnership with Miller Thomson LLP for all AFHTO members about recent changes to the Ontario Corporations Act (OCA). These amendments bring flexibility to the Ontario non-profit governance rules.More information and registration are here.

    Strategies for Opioid De-Implementation in Primary Care, June 11, 2018

    Do you have patients who use opioids to manage their pain? Are you looking for team-based approaches to managing opioid use (and finding alternatives) that are based in solid science? Join us for a one-day workshop Learn more here. 

    “Beyond Silence” mental health training for healthcare workers, May – October 2018

    New evidence-based workplace mental health training program customized for healthcare workers. Through research funding from the Ontario Ministry of Labour, McMaster University Health Sciences is offering subsidized training for workers in small, under-resourced healthcare workplaces across Ontario. Learn more here.

     

  • Link to GCE governance webinar and more resources to come

    AFHTO has partnered with the Governance Centre of Excellence (GCE) to offer our members a series of webcast and online learning modules to better serve your governance needs and empower board leadership:

    • Financial Literacy Training for FHT and NPLC boards (online course): Financial literacy equips board members with the tools they need to mitigate risk and support the success and mission of their organization. AFHTO developed this course in partnership with the Governance Centre of Excellence. It provides FHT and NPLC board members with the financial knowledge and skills to make effective and informative financial decisions. This is a free online learning module that can be completed in your own time. Here’s how to sign up 
    • Strategies for Building and Maintaining an Effective Board in Primary Care was webcast on July 11th – a recording is available here.The interactive discussion was presented by Richard Powers, National Academic Director, Directors Education Program and Governance Essentials Program, at Rotman School of Management. It was focused on strategies for building a skills-based board, governance insights from MOHLTC, and examples from the field on strengthening governance practices.
    • Privacy and Enterprise Risk Management webinar was watched by over 80 AFHTO members on November 22nd – a recording is available here. The webinar was presented by Miller Thomson, a law firm specializing in working with not-for-profit organizations as well as financial institutions and governments. The presentation defined Enterprise Risk Management, its importance to the EDs and the Board, and its relevance to the operation and governance of FHTs. You can access the slide deck to learn about the privacy issues: Privacy and Enterprise Risk Management webinar 22-11-2017 .

    Online learning modules are being developed now and will be made available to AFHTO members. In the meantime, you may wish to look at the following governance resources:

    If you have any questions or comments about these resources, please contact us.

  • Bits & Pieces: ARTIC call for proposals, member expansion and more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    ARTIC 2018 Call for Proposals Health Quality Ontario

     

    (HQO) and the Council of Academic Hospitals of Ontario (CAHO) have announced the ARTIC (Adopting Research to Improve Care) 2018 Call for Proposals.The program’s goal is to accelerate the spread of evidence-based health care across Ontario, and this year, they’re calling for proven interventions or practice changes that align with HQO quality standards. ARTIC will be funding at least one initiative over a 19–24 month period, with maximum available funding of $1,000,000. Submissions will be accepted beginning April 30, 2018. Letters of intent are due by May 25, 2018. If you have questions, please contact artic@hqontario.ca. Read more here.

    In this Issue

     

    ARTIC 2018 Call for Proposals

     

    Member news: expansion, recognition and renewed funding

     

    GCE Board Self-Assessment Tool now available

     

    Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care news including throne speech and RN Prescribing reports

     

    Upcoming webinars and events on privacy and more

    Member news: expansion, recognition and renewed funding

     

    Member expansion:

    both Credit Valley and Brighton/Quinte West FHTs have received funding to expand their teams.

     

    Superior FHT physician honoured: Dr. Sarah White recognised at Women’s Week dinner for her work trans and gender diverse patients and vulnerable populations.

     

    Renewed funding for community paramedicine program: formerly called Expanding Paramedicine in the Community (EPIC), this program in which just over 100 Owen Sound FHT patients participate, has been funded for the 2018-19 fiscal year. Learn more about similar programs here and here.

    GCE Board Self-Assessment Tool now available

    Does your board have the skills to govern effectively? How do you know? Consider using the Governance Centre of Excellence (GCE)’s free, interactive board self-assessment tool – available now until June 5, 2018. After you sign up, each member of your board will be invited to complete to an anonymous online survey. The GCE will compile the responses to generate a customized report for your team. There’s also a non-interactive self-assessment questionnaire for individual board governors. You can read about these and other governance tools on our website here.    
     

    Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care & related news

     

    Throne Speech: yesterday’s speech included “investments in mental health and addictions services so people of all ages across the province can get the care they need”. Read more here.

     

    Registered Nurse Prescribing reports: In November 2015 the Minister directed the Health Professions Regulatory Advisory Council (HPRAC) to conduct broad consultations to assess three models for Registered Nursing prescribing:

    • Independent Prescribing;
    • Supplementary Prescribing; and
    • Use of Protocols.

    The resulting reports are now available on HPRAC’s website.

     

    OHIP+ update: As of March 16, 2018, there have been more than 2.5 million OHIP+ paid claims processed. Learn more here. Situation report on opioid crisis: situation report #23 now available..

    Two Privacy Webinars: Data Sharing with your Affiliated Physicians and Privacy Updates, Apr. 10 & 23, 2018

    Includes context of why you need a written agreement with your affiliated physicians and how to stay on top of privacy developments. Learn more here.

    Dietary Omega 3 Fatty Acids for Human Health, March 29, 2018

    Webinar with Program Facilitator Dr. Bruce Holub. Includes 15 min Q & A. Learn more here.

    Every Community, Every Patient: Preparing for Ontario’s 2018 Election, Apr. 26, 2018

    This webinar will walk you through the current political landscape, ways of working to ensure our message reaches politicians and the public, and AFHTO’s election strategy. Register here.

    HQO Quality Rounds Ontario: Improving Palliative Care, March 22, 2018

    Leadership Panel Discussion available to attend in person or via OTN. Learn more here.

     

  • Health & Safety inspections: New tools and resources to help you be ready

    Let’s Get Ready… for Health & Safety!

    The provincial Ministry of Labour (MoL) is visiting family practice health teams (FHTs & CHCs) across Ontario to carry out proactive inspections. These inspections are designed to determine compliance with the Ontario Health and Safety Act (OHSA) and associated regulations. AFHTO has partnered with Public Services Health & Safety Association (PSHSA) to help our members get ready.

    Everybody plays an important role in preventing injuries and illnesses at work. Our partnership with PSHSA  prepares you for  MoL initiatives by providing additional resources to make your workplace healthy and safe. Here is the list of the recent webinars with links:

    Our online Health & Safety Resources Webpage is now live!

    This new section of our website contains a collection of free health and safety resources, including fact sheets, checklists, web tutorials and posters, tailored specifically to the unique occupational hazards faced by AFHTO members. The resources change regularly, so remember to check back often for new information and tools.

    Health and Safety Resource Manual: a compilation of essential tools, information, and steps to developing a health and safety program within your team. Everything you need to know in one, simple manual!

    Sample Policies : As part of this new partnership with AFHTO, PSHSA is developing a core set of occupational health and safety policies and procedures. Policies and Programs including the following are now available to AFHTO members free of charge* on the webpage :

    • Health and Safety Policy
    • Roles and Responsibilities
    • Hazard Recognition
    • JHSC/Health and Safety Representative
    • Training
    • Incident/Injury Investigation
    • Workplace Violence and Harassment Policy/Program
    • First-Aid Requirements

    * Other customizable health and safety policies and procedures are available for purchase.

    eLearning training courses for basic compliance are available as a bundled package or individual purchase through PSHSA. More information is available here.

    Regional workshops: AFHTO will be working with each Executive Director Advisory Council (EDAC) representative to explore interest in regional workshops. These workshops would be a half-day training session by a PSHSA consultant in your region, on topics of your choosing. Stay tuned… more to come!   UPDATE – Prevention of Workplace Violence is a priority indicator for the 2018 Quality Improvement Plan (QIP) from HQO. The resources on this page will help you address this indicator in your QIP. See also HQO’s guidance document (LINK http://www.hqontario.ca/Portals/0/documents/qi/qip/guidance-workplace-violence-en.pdf) and report on how teams addressed this question last year. (LINK:http://www.hqontario.ca/Portals/0/documents/qi/qip/workplace-violence-report-en.pdf ). See this page for more resources to help you with this year’s QIP. (LINK: https://www.afhto.ca/news-events/news/measure-and-quality-improve/help-for-your-2018-qips/) .

  • NEW privacy breach reporting rules effective Oct. 1 and NEW guidelines to support you in meeting them

    Effective October 1, 2017, health information custodians (HICs) will be required to report certain privacy breaches to the Information and Privacy Commissioner (IPC). The IPC has published new guidelines to support you in complying with these new rules. Please read them here and distribute them widely to all members of your team. The new guidelines outline the situations in which you must notify the commissioner of a privacy breach, including:

    • Use or disclosure of personal health information without authority
    • Stolen health information
    • Further unauthorized use or disclosure of health information after a breach
    • Pattern of similar breaches
    • Disciplinary action against an employee or agent of a custodian
    • Significant breaches that do not fall into one of the above categories

    Effective January 1, 2018, HICs will also be required to start tracking privacy breach statistics, and they will be required to provide the IPC with an annual report of the previous calendar year’s statistics beginning in March 2019. We will update you when the IPC releases detailed guidance on this statistical reporting requirement in the coming months. We are currently updating our privacy resources for AFHTO members, to further support you in complying with the new regulations. In the meantime, you may wish to review these two privacy tools developed for AFHTO members:

    For up-to-date privacy news and resources from Kate Dewhirst, check out the FHT category on her health privacy blog.

  • Data to Decisions eBulletin #54: Tools to help you keep getting better

    D2D 4.1 is now live: Check out the interactive display to see how your team is doing, and see a summary of the results here! We’re looking forward to seeing you at our post-launch webinar on March 28th. In the meantime, if you have any questions about the platform or your results please contact Greg Mitchell. We’re working with patients to make D2D better: In the next few weeks we’ll be sending a survey to patients across Canada to help us understand what’s really important to them in primary care. Watch for an email with more information and consider sharing it with your own patient networks. Help for your QIP from Cancer Care Ontario: This toolkit will help you add cervical and colorectal cancer screening to your QIP and develop programs to improve care. Send your questions or comments to screenforlife@cancercare.on.ca. Even more help for your QIPs: HQO will host the third and final session of their QIP Group Support Webinar on Thursday, March 23rd. See their webpage for more information. The 2017-18 Annual Operating Plan (AOP) template is on its way! For help developing your AOP submission, check out our Program Planning & Evaluation Tools page, where you’ll find the NEW AND IMPROVED Program Performance Measures Catalogue with NEW quick reference guide and video walkthrough, plus a recorded webinar on program planning and AOP requirements.

    Help spread the word about D2D – invite others to sign up for the eBulletin.

  • Data to Decisions eBulletin #53: I can’t handle the antici…

      dog watching oven- ebulletin 53 It’s almost here! The D2D Data to Decisions Interactive Display Platform will be updated with the results of D2D 4.1 on Tuesday, March 7, 2017. Register now for our post-launch webinar on March 28. Need something to keep you busy while you wait? It’s never too early to think about sharing your story at our 2017 Conference. For inspiration, check out last year’s concurrent session presentations, poster gallery, and  Bright Lights award winners.

    Help spread the word about D2D – invite others to sign up for the eBulletin.

  • Data to Decisions eBulletin #52: D2D, Program Planning & more

    Thank you to all who contributed data to D2D 4.1. The results will be released on Tuesday, March 7th. Join us for a webinar at noon on March 28th to ask questions and tell stories about how your teams are using D2D. Taking D2D to the LHINs: Dr. Danielle Martin, who thinks D2D is “the most exciting measurement work happening in Canada”, will be speaking with the LHIN primary care and quality leads on April 4th in Toronto (see details here). Please ask your lead physicians to encourage your LHIN leads to attend! Choosing program-level indicators is getting easier: Check out the refreshed and easier-to-use Program Performance Measures Catalogue to see what indicators your fellow AFHTO members are using and which ones might be useful for you. Even MORE support for program planning: The Annual Operating Plan is coming soon! Register now for a webinar on designing and reporting your programs. We’ll review timelines and expectations for the AOP as well as tools to help you meet them. Monday, March 6th from 12:00 to 1:30 pm. Get moving! Physical Activity for Better Quality Care. Good news! A small amount of travel support is now available for those attending our one-day learning workshop on Tuesday, March 7th. Patients, QIDSS and IHPs will learn how incorporating physical activity into all kinds of programs can improve outcomes. Spread the word to your teams! Exploring EMR Dashboards? There are a lot of different approaches and options to consider. To help you get started, we’ve compiled a working “roadmap” with some questions you might want to ask and the kinds of answers you can expect to find. This will help you get started; as you share your discoveries with us, we’ll keep expanding the map. Help for your QIPs from HQO: Group support sessions are available over the next few weeks. Visit HQO’s website for more information.

    D2D 4.1 Timeline

    2017-02-15 D2D timeline-edited

    Help spread the word about D2D – invite others to sign up for the eBulletin.