Tag: Members Only News

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.

March 3, 2016

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:

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.
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

March 3, 2016

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 24^th 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.

February 18, 2016
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.
- Privacy Webinar for Executive Directors
- Privacy Webinar for Board Chairs
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:
- Template FHT FHO PHIPA Agency Agreement [editable Word document to download]
- Answers to the top 5 privacy questions asked by FHTs and FHT staff
- Family Health Team Privacy Impact Assessment Template [editable Word document to download]
- 13 Privacy Tips for Family Health Teams [PDF]
- Template PHIPA Terms and Conditions for Vendor Contracts [editable Word document to download]
For more information, please contact Bryn Hamilton, Provincial Lead for Governance & Leadership at AFHTO.
February 8, 2016
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.

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.

February 4, 2016
Data to Decisions eBulletin #27: D2D 3.0 report goes live Feb.1

Sign up for the Feb. 1^st launch of the D2D 3.0 report for a look at how your team stacks up with the nearly 120 teams that contributed data. Also, get a first look at the new indicators for D2D 4.0. Calling all EDs! Please complete the QI Capacity survey by Feb. 7, 2016 – to help answer questions about the causes and effects of being a high performing team. REGISTER NOW: for a webinar jointly presented by AFHTO and the Ministry to review the Annual Operating Plan (AOP) timelines and expectations, with a specific focus on the Program Planning & Evaluation Framework, Indicator Catalogue and Schedule A reporting requirements for FHTs. Click here to register and pick the session you wish to attend: February 10^th 12:00 – 1:30 pm OR February 17^th 2:30 – 4:00 pm

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

Getting too many emails? Scroll to the bottom of the original email for the unsubscribe link.

January 21, 2016
Data to Decisions eBulletin #26: One week left to submit D2D 3.0 data!
D2D 3.0 data submission PLANNED DOWNTIME: The D2D 3.0 submission platform will be closed this weekend (January 9 to 10, 2016) for technical updates. Data submission reopens on Monday morning until the end of day Friday, January 15, 2016.
- Use the steps outlined on the D2D 3.0 planning and prep page for submitting your data.
- Please note the D2D 2.0 interactive report will also be unavailable during this time.
- Contact Greg Mitchell with any questions.
Watch for the next QI Capacity survey coming Jan 15, 2016: The survey helps us answer important questions we started looking at with D2D 2.0 like: What difference does having a high-functioning team make to performance? Or how much is performance related to how well you, your team and your physicians use your EMR? D2D 3.0 report release planned for Feb 1, 2016: Register for the orientation webinar here. Help design D2D 4.0 and beyond: The Indicators Working Group chaired by Monique Hancock, Executive Director, STAR FHT, needs new members. Please nominate yourself or others here.

Need more D2D friends to share the work?

Invite others to sign up for the eBulletin online to expand your D2D work team. Getting too many emails? Scroll to the bottom of the original email for the unsubscribe link.
January 7, 2016
Data to Decisions eBulletin #25: release of HQO-ICES data planned for today!

Release of the HQO-ICES data for D2D 3.0 is planned for today, Friday Dec.18 via the HQO portal – pending confirmation by HQO. EDs will receive notice from HQO directly about when to access the report. Here’s how to find the D2D 3.0 indicators in a sample report. Compiling data for the “time spent delivering primary care” indicator? FAQs are now available! Queries for the D2D 3.0 EMR-based indicators can be accessed quickly here in a new table. Check out the new report released by HQO and ICES about variation in the quality of mental health services across the province. Need more D2D friends to share the work? Invite others to sign up for the e-Bulletin online to expand your D2D work team. Getting too many emails? Scroll to the bottom of the original email for the unsubscribe link.

December 18, 2015
Data to Decisions eBulletin #24: D2D 3.0 submission opens today! Plus, find out how to get data for “time spent delivering care”
Start submitting D2D 3.0 data until January 15, 2016. Click here or contact Greg Mitchell for resources.
- Instructional webinar recording now posted with a walkthrough of the D2D submission form, data dictionary and toolkit, all available online.
Increase AFHTO’s ability to inform decisions about teams’ capacity: work with your lead clinician (using these notes on page 7) to get better data about the time your team spends delivering primary care. Quality Roll-up Indicator: The Movie! Check out the videos that explain what it is and why AFHTO is doing it, how it is calculated, what it means to your team and a national perspective from Dr. Danielle Martin. Need more D2D friends to share the work? Invite others to sign up for the e-Bulletin online to expand your D2D work team. Getting too many emails? Scroll to the bottom of the original email for the unsubscribe link.
December 3, 2015
Data to Decisions eBulletin #23: Getting ready for D2D 3.0

Sign up for D2D 3.0: Data submission opens soon – sign up and go through the checklist to get ready. Register for webinars on Dec. 2 to walk through the data submission process. D2D 3.0 Data Dictionary and Step-by-Step guide now live! Everything you need to know about the D2D 3.0 indicators is here. Thanks to the 100 or so folks who voted on the indicators. Need help getting ready for D2D? Consider hiring a student NOW! Some programs and incentives are opening in December, perfect timing to pull together data for D2D 3.0. Last call for advice about indicators for new MOHLTC-FHT contract: About 100 people have voted so far – survey closes Nov 25.

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.

November 19, 2015