Ultimate Blogging Championship

Tag: reports and relevant news

  • Changes to Nurse Practitioners’ practice

    Changes to Nurse Practitioners’ (NPs) practice resulting from legislative amendments will take effect on Oct. 1, 2011; therefore, the College of Nurses of Ontario has released a new Nurse Practitioner practice standard, which includes new expectations for NP practice. Visit www.cno.org/np to download a copy of the new practice standard and to read other information related to the changes to NP practice, including frequently asked questions and NP practice resources. For an overview of changes to nursing practice, go to  http://www.cno.org/en/what-is-cno/regulation-and-legislation/legislation-governing-nursing/faq-bill-179/

  • Status of Nurse Practitioner Access Reporting (NPAR) pilot project

    Click here to access an update bulletin from MOHLTC’s Primary Health Care Branch on the NPAR pilot project.

  • Accessibility Standards for Customer Service: reminder of requirements

    By January 1st, 2012 Family Health Teams must comply with the Accessibility Standards for Customer Service. The information below is provided for your reference, from MOHLTC’s FHT to Print newsletter, Winter 2011 edition. In addition, click here for  a brief, practical, self-assessment tool intended to assist primary health care settings to increase their awareness of the needs of disabled patients, and to enhance accessibility in the practice. The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA) is legislation that sets out specific standards of accessibility in a number of key areas. The Accessibility Standards for Customer Service, Ontario Regulation 429/07, is the first standard to be developed under the AODA. Effective Dates The customer service standard designates that Family Health Teams must comply with the standard by January 1st, 2012. Additionally, FHTs with 20 or more employees will have to file online accessibility reports. FHTs with fewer than 20 employees are currently exempt from filling out the report, but must still comply with the standard. Types of Accessibility When thinking about accessibility in primary care clinics, physical space is what usually comes to mind first. However, there are four broad areas of accessibility to consider: 1. Physical: The space should allow for disabled patients to freely enter and move around in the practice; 2. Attitudinal: The level of service provided at the clinic should be proportionate with the needs and abilities of the patients; 3. Expertise: FHT staff a should have an understanding and awareness of disability and its effect on the clinic and practice; and 4. Systemic: FHT policies, practices and procedures (both formal and informal) should be designed with the following four principles in mind: independence, dignity, integration and equal opportunity. Step by Step: Meeting the requirements of the customer service standard There are 11 compliance requirements associated with the Standards, with an additional three for providers with 20+ employees. Please refer to the Guide to Accessibility Standards for Customer Service for a complete listing. Here is a quick overview with additional detail in the links below.  Establish policies, practices and procedures related to providing services to persons with disabilities. They should be consistent with the principles of dignity, independence, integration and equality of opportunity.  Develop a policy for dealing with various assistive devices/methods used by persons with disabilities.  Develop a strategy for communicating with people with various disabilities (i.e. in person, over the phone or online).  Allow persons with disabilities to be accompanied by service animals as well as support persons.  Provide advance notice of any situation where admission fees would be charged for a support person.  Provide notice when facilities or services that persons with disabilities rely on are temporarily disrupted.  Establish a training program and train staff on accessibility and customer service.  Establish a feedback process on how you provide services to persons with disabilities.  FHTs with 20 or more employees must prepare documentation on accessibility standards.

  • Over 90% of Family Health Teams belong to AFHTO

    Family Health Team membership in AFHTO surpassed the 90% mark as of in the last week of September.  171 of Ontario’s 186 FHTs have now joined. AFHTO is the voice for Family Health Teams (FHTs) in this province.

  • AFHTO-OMA survey of physicians working in FHTs (due Oct.16)

    The purpose of this AFHTO-OMA collaboration is to inform both associations on the experience of physicians working in this model, and gain insight into their needs, ideas, issues and concerns.  The results will be released as part of a joint OMA/AFHTO presentation and discussion at the AFHTO 2011 Conference on Oct. 26. FHT physicians will receive the link to the on-line survey from the Lead Physician or ED of your FHT. If you have not received this link, please send an e-mail to info@afhto.ca . Please include your name and the name of the FHT in which you practice in order to receive the link. Responses must be submitted by Sunday, October 16. Thank you for your assistance, and we hope to see you at the AFHTO conference. Sincerely, Dr. John McDonald                                                               Dr. Stewart Kennedy President                                                                               President Association of Family Health Teams of Ontario                   Ontario Medical Association Lead physician, PrimaCare FHT, Paris                               Physician, Harbourview FHT, Thunder Bay

  • Citizens’ Reference Panel calls for expansion of family health teams in Ontario

    Twenty-eight Ontarians who have looked at the inner-workings of the province’s health system recommend more collaboration, integration and accountability to help ensure the sustainability of high-quality, accessible and publicly-funded health care. One of these recommendations states, “We urge the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care to accelerate the expansion of integrated family health teams throughout the province.” The report, released on June 22, 2011, was commissioned by PwC (formerly called PricewaterhouseCoopers). They invited 28 randomly-selected citizens from across the province to meet over three weekends in Toronto from April-June 2011. One male and one female panel member was selected from each of the 14 Local Health Integration Networks (LHIN) and with the age profile matching that of the population distribution of the province. This process and their discussions were facilitated by public engagement company, MASS LBP. Their recommendations can be summarized into five themes (below). Click here for links for the entire report and executive summary .

    1. Improve Accountability and Incentives. Link compensation for physicians to measurable patient outcomes and satisfaction, encourage health professionals to form interdisciplinary primary health teams, expand reporting in hospitals that measure quality and patient satisfaction.
    2. Strengthen Community Care. Requires strengthening of partnerships, mobilization of volunteers, creation of patient and community support groups, reduce cyclical funding constraints, prepare for an aging population with new resources for community services that keep people at home.
    3. Improve Access and Timeliness. Expand family health team models. Utilize nurse practitioners more widely in primary care clinics and emergency departments, and develop a centralized specialist referral system.
    4. Expedite eHealth and improve information-sharing. Communicate the importance of eHealth while addressing access and privacy issues.
    5. Step up Prevention and Promotion. Direct a share of alcohol and tobacco taxes towards health promotion. Expand nutrition and phys-ed in schools, more public education on active living, better food labeling.

  • Progress of Family Health Teams showcased in Annals of Family Medicine

    A number of leading experts from Canada and abroad comment on Ontario’s experience in setting up Family Health Teams.  The Annals of Family Medicine has published these responses to an article on FHTs in the March 2011 edition of this American journal. The original article had been written for the benefit of Americans trying to come up with models of their own, by a team led by Walter Rosser of Queen’s University. This publication was reported by Canadian Press, and the story picked up in a number of Ontario newspapers. Click here to read the journal article. Click here to read the commentary. Click here to read the Canadian Press story as it appeared in the Globe and Mail, March 16, 2011.

  • Join the Office Practice Redesign Action Group to improve Access and Efficiency

    Apply by December 10 to join QIIP’s Office Practice Redesign Action Group. QIIP (Quality Improvement and Innovation Partnership) is a non-profit organization funded by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, focused on advancing improvement in primary healthcare in Ontario. QIIP is looking for approximately 100 motivated primary healthcare organizations including Family Health Teams (FHT), Community Health Centers (CHC), Nurse Practitioner Lead Clinics (NPLC) and solo or group practices to participate in the newest provincial wide quality improvement initiative by joining the Learning Community. This initiative will focus on Office Practice Redesign, a proactive, planned approach to making changes that improve patient access and office efficiencies. By adopting the principles of Office Practice Redesign, including access and efficiency, practices learn to balance provider supply with service demands, so patients can see their own provider on the day of their choosing and improve access to primary healthcare. The Learning Community provides an exciting and interactive opportunity for primary healthcare providers from across the province to learn and apply quality improvement methodologies and make changes that lead to true improvements. For further information, including important dates, go to http://www.qiip.ca/. To apply to QIIP’s Office Practice Redesign Action Group, please complete the online registration form at http://www.surveymonkey.com/http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/LCWave2OPR by December 10, 2010. If you have any questions, please e-mail info@qiip.ca . We look forward to your participation in the Learning Community, and being part of the next phase in quality improvement in primary healthcare in Ontario.

  • CBC Radio listeners learn about FHTs from Dr. Jane Philpott

    Matt Galloway, host of CBC Radio’s Metro Morning interviewed Dr. Jane Philpott, Lead Physician, Health for All Family Health Team to learn how family health teams work and what makes them more effective in providing care. Click here to listen to the interview.