Ultimate Blogging Championship

Tag: social determinants of health

  • Bits & Pieces: memo to primary care from OH and more

    Bits & Pieces: memo to primary care from OH and more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In This Issue  
    • Memos to primary care, on operational direction and more
    • Health ministers’ meeting in Vancouver
    • Reminder- Supporting Caregivers Supports Patients- The Critical Role of Primary Care in Preventing Caregiver Burnout, Nov. 24
    • Virtual concussion occupational therapy services for teams
    • Moving towards an integrated health data ecosystem & QIP update
    • OLTCA convention call for content
    • Nominate high performing early career family physicians
    • IPHCC & PHAC seeking participants for short videos
    • Upcoming events including Evaluating program planning using an equity framework and more

     

    Memos to primary care, on operational direction and more

    Recent updates include:

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

    Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Updates– the original page, with news and updates. You can find links to related pages here as well.

    Health ministers’ meeting in Vancouver

    screenshot of AFHTO news release

    “Mr. Duclos … added the federal government is also prepared to make bilateral agreements with provinces and territories on issues of shared priorities, such as increased access to family health teams and mental-health services.” Full article here.

    As the provincial and territorial health ministers gather in Vancouver to meet with the federal Minister of Health, the Hon. Jean-Yves Duclos, AFHTO remains hopeful that all parties share his priority of increasing access to primary care teams and that we will see much needed funding flow to the province through the Canada Health Transfer.

    Please read AFHTO’s statement here. 

    OCO webinar flyer

     

     

    Reminder – Supporting Caregivers Supports Patients- The Critical Role of Primary Care in Preventing Caregiver Burnout, Nov. 24

    Primary care providers can play a key role in preventing burnout and enhancing caregiver well-being by initiating early interventions and connecting caregivers to support.

    Co-hosted by The Ontario Caregiver Organization and the Primary Care Collaborative, this webinar will include insights from a caregiver with lived experience, as well as examples of primary care initiatives across Ontario that are connecting caregivers to support. Register here.

     

     

    Virtual concussion occupational therapy services for teams

    The Neurology Centre of Toronto (NCT) has developed a concussion rehabilitation program that has been implemented and proven successful with an existing FHT in Ontario. The program provides patients with access to virtual concussion occupational therapy services and has been running successfully since March 2022.

    The patients in this program wouldn’t have access to this care otherwise, and the program has generated very positive feedback and results. Specifically, when surveyed after completing this program:

    • 33% of patients demonstrated an improvement in daily activity tolerance
    • 67% of patients demonstrated an improvement in their symptom scores, and
    • 83% reported satisfaction with the program.

    NCT would like to extend this service to other teams (including NPLCs and CHCs) in need of concussion rehabilitation services to support their patients. Please contact Jenni Diamond, Occupational Therapist and Program Director, to discuss the details and how it may fit within your team: jenni.diamond@numinus.com.

    Moving towards an integrated health data ecosystem & QIP update

    OLTCA convention call for content

    Taking place March 27-29, the Ontario Long Term Care Association (OLTCA) in partnership with the Ontario Retirement Communities Association (ORCA) are hosting the Together We Care 2023 Convention in person. The TWC Call for Content is now accepting abstracts. For a full list of program streams and to submit an abstract, please visit their site. Deadline November 21, 2022, at 4:00 pm EST.

    Nominate high performing early career family physicians

    Dr. Monica Aggarwal at the University of Toronto is conducting a study that will identify the key capabilities and competencies of high-performing family medicine graduates. This will help inform how learning, teaching and assessment can be improved in family medicine residency programs in Canada.

    She’s looking for nominations for high-performing early-career family physicians (based on the criteria identified here). If you have a nominee, please contact monica.aggarwal@utoronto.ca.

    IPHCC & PHAC seeking participants for short videos

    The Indigenous Primary Health Care Council is looking for both health care staff as well as general population participants for the creation of short videos.

    Created in collaboration with the Public Health Agency of Canada, the videos aim to increase knowledge about the importance of vaccination, build vaccine confidence, and address barriers to accessing vaccination services. An honorarium will be provided. Please see the flyer for more information.

    ONCA A Year Later: the 100 Most Asked Questions, Nov. 10, 2022
    Hosted by Community Legal Education Ontario, who have compiled the most frequently asked questions into a database and want to share what they have learned. Register here.

    Infection Prevention & Control in Primary Care, Nov. 23, 2022
    Hosted by Hamilton FHT and Public Health Ontario. Find out more here.

    Evaluating program planning using an equity framework, Nov. 23, 2022
    To plan for an expansion of healthcare services in newly developed neighbourhoods, a planning initiative was conducted to better understand the needs of the population. Ensuring equity of care was identified as a priority for this initiative.

    CCHL Forum webinar featuring speakers from Ontario Health, North York FHT and Queen Square FHT. Register here.

    Highlights and implications of the Ontario Science Table’s brief on primary care, Nov. 30

    On October 3, 2022, the Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table (OST) released its final brief, a 3-part exploration of how primary care responded to and was affected by the pandemic, and implications for ongoing health system planning and policy. In this webinar, you will hear from a panel of primary healthcare experts who contributed to that brief, as they share some of the most significant findings and implications. Register here.

    Climate Conscious Inhaler Prescribing, Dec. 8

    Metered dose inhalers produce significant carbon emissions. Ironically, these contribute to changes to the climate that can exacerbate respiratory conditions. Simple practice changes can help disrupt this cycle and lessen the health sector’s contributions to climate change.

    Register here.

  • QI in Action eBulletin #122: Clinically Appropriate Use of Virtual Care in Primary Care

    In this Issue:

    • Phase One Guidance for Clinically Appropriate Use of Virtual Care in Primary Care
    • Wawa FHT in the News
    • Canada-Wide Study on Health Equity and Virtual Primary Care
    • Upcoming Events

     

    Phase One Guidance for Clinically Appropriate Use of Virtual Care in Primary Care
    Content below developed by Ontario Health and edited for length

    Dr. David Kaplan, Vice President, Quality, at Ontario Health, and Co-Chair of the Primary Care Expert Panel for Guidance for Clinically Appropriate Use of Virtual Care, explains how the guidance was developed, informed and why it can be a helpful resource for primary care clinicians.

    Q: Why is Ontario Health developing guidance for clinically appropriate use of virtual care?
    A:  As we know, the COVID-19 pandemic spurred the necessity for the health care system to pivot and rapidly adopt new ways of using available technology to reach patients and deliver care. While this was an extraordinary feat and has paved the way for the innovation we are seeing within health care, there have been reports of variation in practice and clinicians and patients alike have questions about the ‘best’ uses of virtual care. To address some of the questions about virtual care and put the learnings gleaned over the pandemic into practice, we, at Ontario Health, thought it would be helpful to build on the work previously conducted by the Ontario Telehealth Network (OTN) and provide some new guidance to clinicians around virtual care.

    The Ministry of Health provided funding to Ontario Health to undertake this work and develop guidance for clinically appropriate use of virtual care. While important for all specialties, we started with developing virtual care guidance for primary care because we felt it had the potential to reach more people across Ontario and have the most impact. Over time, Ontario Health will develop tailored guidance documents that apply to other specialties.

    Q: What does the guidance include?
    A: The Phase I Guidance is expected to be released this fall. These materials are intended to be used by primary care clinicians and lays the foundation for decision-making around use of virtual care, patient-centric approaches, and respecting clinicians’ comfort with virtual care. The guidance also outlines the supports available to both clinicians and patients related to virtual care. Patient-facing ‘tools’ have been developed to complement the guidance materials and can assist clinicians to explain virtual care, the various modalities of virtual care and support patients to decide if virtual care is appropriate for their needs. We want clinicians to feel confident in their decisions related to virtual care.

    Q: How has the guidance been developed?
    The development of the guidance was modeled after related work led by Ontario Health, such as Quality Standards and Person-Centred Virtual Cancer Care Clinical Guidance. A review of statements, policies and standards set out by professional regulatory agencies, an inventory of existing guidelines and evaluation of these guidelines against a method for determining strength of this guidance, and a scoping review was conducted. We also looked at available data to determine how virtual was being used in Ontario to help inform our work.

    A primary care-specific expert panel was also established to help give direction to this work and included a mixed membership of primary care physicians, nurse practitioners and patient partners. It was important to our project team to include people from each of the six Ontario Health regions so we could be inclusive of and capture how primary care exists and is practiced across the province.

    Q: How has the use of virtual care shifted?
    A: Before March 2020, clinicians had regularly used the telephone for sharing lab results and refilling medication prescriptions. Video was being used, but primarily by specialists in Ontario and only if certain conditions were met. It was also used by primary care clinicians, though on a smaller scale. Virtual care in this context wouldn’t have been considered ‘mainstream’ until the pandemic.

    Through work we conducted with INSPIRE-PHC, a research group based out of Queen’s University, we’ve been monitoring use of telephone and video primary care delivered by clinicians. Recent data demonstrates virtual care continues to see uptake and use in primary care settings. This is a formative time for the evolution of virtual care in primary care and Ontario Health’s guidance can support primary care clinicians to take a systematic, stepwise approach to planning and delivering virtual care.

    The Guidance for Clinically Appropriate Use of Virtual Care in Primary Care is expected to be released later this Fall and we will share once they are available.  

    Wawa FHT in the News
    In a twist on the traditional rural-to-urban referrals, Wawa FHT received a request for help from a nearby urban centre. With no providers delivering medical abortions in the city or surrounding area, Wawa FHT expanded their medical abortion program to include a virtual component and provide care to this underserviced urban population. The team won a 2022 Spotlight Bright Lights Award and has been featured on CBC News.

    Canada-Wide Case Study on Health Equity and Virtual Primary Care
    Dr. Jay Shaw is leading a project with the Canadian Network for Digital Health Evaluation that aims to gain insights into how primary care organizations across Canada have successfully incorporated health equity into virtual primary care design, implementation, and delivery. The Primary Care Research Network is inviting primary care organizations across Canada to participate in a 30-to-40-minute phone interview about how equity considerations were incorporated when they implemented virtual primary care. For more information, email the research coordinator, Simone Shahid, at WCH.

    Upcoming Events
    Guidance for Clinically Appropriate Use of Virtual Care
    Wednesday, November 9, 2022, 8-9 am
    Please join Dr. David Kaplan and Dr. Risa Bordman from the Primary Care Expert Panel – Guidance for Clinically Appropriate Use of Virtual Care, as they present the third of a 3-part series on the Guidance for Clinically Appropriate Use of Virtual Care.  Please register in advance.  

    Primary Care Report: Using Data for Improvement – a focus on using the opioid prescribing indicators to drive improvements in patient care
    Thursday, November 10, 2022, 12-1 pm
    Ontario Health is hosting a webinar for primary care providers on using the opioid prescribing indicators in the MyPractice: Primary Care report to drive improvements in patient care. Please REGISTER HERE to join the session. This is the fourth installment of an accredited series that will focus on using data from the MyPractice: Primary Care report for quality improvement. This 1-credit-per-hour Group Learning program has been certified by the CFPC and the Ontario Chapter for up to 1.0 Mainpro+Ⓡ credits.

    Supporting Caregivers Supports Patients- The Critical Role of Primary Care in Preventing Caregiver Burnout
    Thursday, November 24, 2022, 12-1 pm
    Primary care providers can play a key role in preventing burnout and enhancing caregiver well-being by initiating early interventions and connecting caregivers to support. Co-hosted by The Ontario Caregiver Organization and the Primary Care Collaborative, this webinar will include insights from a caregiver with lived experience, as well as examples of primary care initiatives across Ontario that are connecting caregivers to support. Click here to register.

    Highlights and Implications of the Ontario Science Table’s Brief on Primary Care
    Wednesday, November 30, 2022, 7:45-8:45 am
    On October 3, 2022, the Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table (OST) released its final brief, a 3-part exploration of how primary care responded to and was affected by the pandemic, and implications for ongoing health system planning and policy. In this webinar, you will hear from a panel of primary healthcare experts who contributed to that brief, as they share some of the most significant findings and implications. To register, click here.

    Climate Conscious Inhaler Prescribing
    Thursday, December 8, 2022, 12-1 pm
    This webinar will explore the carbon footprint of healthcare systems and how inhalers contribute to it, examine two problems related to inhaler prescribing and imagine practice change that results in an immediate reduction in emissions: “high value, low carbon care”. To register, click here.

     

    In Case You Missed It: Check out eBulletin #121 or other back issues here!
    Questions? Comments? Contact us at improve@afhto.ca.

  • Bits & Pieces: UpToDate price change and more

    Bits & Pieces: UpToDate price change and more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In This Issue  
    • UpToDate price changes coming in October
    • Welcome to Veronica Jiang
    • Member stories
    • #AFHTO2022 updates- ED networking sessions and more
    • Long COVID materials and more
    • WSIB health and safety rebates are available – and they’re doubled for 2022!
    • Ministry and Ontario Health updates- MH data and substance use treatment
    • Toronto Geriatrics Update Course, Nov. 4, 2022
    • Upcoming events including Indigenous Cultural Safety and more

    UpToDate price changes coming in October

    AFHTO members are able to save on an individual subscription to UpToDate® and optional add-on products. (*Savings on annual and longer subscriptions only and based on subscription type).

    WoltersKluwer has informed us a price increase will go into effect October 1 for members, so now would be a good time to subscribe.

    EDs and Admin leads, if you need additional information to access these discounts, please email info@afhto.ca.

    Veronica

    Welcome to Veronica Jiang

    We’re happy to introduce Veronica Jiang, our new Manager, Finance and Corporate Affairs.
    After graduating from the University of Windsor, Veronica worked in both not-for-profit and financial service industries. She gained experience in reporting and compliance requirements for not-for-profit organizations in the Association of Ontario Midwives and Junior Achievement of Canada.

    Veronica takes pride in providing the best fund valuation, investment information reporting, and revenue governance services to institutional investors through her employment at CIBCMellon. Over the years, Veronica expanded her expertise to the areas of corporate finance, budgeting and forecasting, financial investment instruments, and data management. She is a lifelong learner, and her career ambition is to eliminate redundancy and manual input with the most cost-efficient technology.

    Welcome, Veronica to the team!

    Member stories

    Arnprior and District FHT and Ottawa Valley FHT – Family health team expansion in the works for Carleton Place

    Queen’s FHT – how system navigator Valerie Dewal, RN, helps high-needs patients through their health-care journeys (article in FLA OHT newsletter)

    #AFHTO2022 updates- ED networking sessions and more

    Reconnect and Reimagine: moving forward together

    Long COVID materials and more

    Recent updates include:

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

    WSIB health and safety rebates are available – and they’re doubled for 2022!

    To help smaller businesses (businesses with 1-99 full-time employees) recover from the pandemic, the WSIB is doubling the rebates through their Health and Safety Excellence program this year – and they’re giving businesses $1,000 towards their health and safety plan!

    EDs/Admin Leads, lead clinicians and board chairs can join for a webinar on Thursday, September 22 from 12-1pm to learn more about the program benefits and how investing in health and safety keeps your employees safe and can boost your bottom line. Check out WSIB’s website for more information and click here to register for the webinar.

    Ministry and Ontario Health updates- MH data and substance use treatment

    Toronto Geriatrics Update Course, Nov. 4, 2022

    Content provided by Sinai Health and University Health Network and Dr. Samir K. Sinha (edited for length)

    You are invited to attend our 10th Annual CME Course, which has been designed to provide primary care providers and health care professionals with the latest practical and evidence-based knowledge in providing geriatric care. We are bringing back the highly requested Top 10 Geriatric Medicine Articles, as well as providing you with Updates on MAID, tools on how to Navigate a Cognitive Assessment, and lots of other surprises from well renowned professionals! You don’t want to miss this one.

    This year’s course will once again be delivered virtually. Just note that the day will run from 8:40 AM – 3:30 PM EDT.

    Registration is Open! Scholarships are also available to ensure this can be an accessible event. Please contact us if you need assistance.

    For further information, please visit our website. View the agenda here.

    Introduction to ICS: What It Is and Why It’s Important, Sep. 22, 2022
    First of a three-part webinar series, which will aim to provide OHTs with the knowledge and skills necessary to meaningfully engage and include Indigenous organizations and communities in the planning, design, delivery, and evaluation of health services. The first webinar will focus on the foundations of Indigenous Cultural Safety, in recognition that learning to apply culturally safe care is lifelong. Register here.

    Community of Practice: Infection Prevention and Control in Primary Care, Oct. 4- 31, 2022

    Quarterly (CoP) meetings hosted by Public Health Ontario to support Infection Prevention and Control (IPAC) programs in Primary Care settings.  

    Sessions will be held on several dates and times for different regions. Find out more here.

    AFHTO 2022 Conference, Oct. 12, 2022

    Join your peers from across Ontario and beyond as we reconnect and reimagine, moving forward together.

    Members get more than 50% off registration. Register with your verification code here.

    Social Prescribing Conference: Current Practices & Community Conversations, Oct. 20, 2022
    Virtual conference hosted by the Alliance. Find out more here.

    Practical Evidence for Informed Practice, Oct. 21-22, 2022
    Family medicine rapid fire conference. Find out more here.

  • QI in Action eBulletin #121: Primary Care Ontario Practice-Based Learning and Research Network (POPLAR)

    QI in Action eBulletin #121: Primary Care Ontario Practice-Based Learning and Research Network (POPLAR)

    In this Issue:

    • What is POPLAR and How to Join
    • Examining the Work Done by Interprofessional Healthcare Providers
    • Pan-Canadian Study on Outpatient Interventions for Mild to Moderate COVID-19
    • CareCanvas: A New Tool to Support Practice Improvement
    • Upcoming Events

     

    What is POPLAR and How to Join
    Content below developed by POPLAR

    The Primary Care Ontario Practice-based Learning and Research Network (POPLAR) is an initiative of Ontario’s six University Departments/Sections of Family Medicine and the Alliance for Healthier Communities. POPLAR works with clinicians, researchers, and policy makers, providing information on the vital work primary care does, while supporting practices in delivering optimal care across Ontario.

    POPLAR securely collects and de-identifies electronic medical record (EMR) data. Currently, over 1,000 primary care providers are contributing EMR data for over 1.5 million patients to the POPLAR database. The time and effort it takes to safely and securely contribute is minimal. All you need do is fill out a consent form and a brief survey; POPLAR staff will coordinate data extraction at your practice, with all safeguards in place.

    If you are interested in registering, or if you would like to find out more information about POPLAR, please visit www.poplarnetwork.ca or contact info@poplarnetwork.ca.

    Collectively, primary care’s voice can be heard by providing safe and secure access to real-world data; this is possible with your help!  

    Examining the Work Done by Interprofessional Healthcare Providers in Primary Care Teams
    Content below developed by AFHTO & POPLAR

    Interprofessional Healthcare Providers (IHPs) are key members of interprofessional teams.  Disciplines include nursing, social work, clinical pharmacy, dietetics, chiropody and more. IHPs run programs that include, amongst others, diabetes education, mental health supports, and smoking cessation. However, the impact of patient encounters by IHPs and through IHP-led programs on health outcomes at a larger scale is challenging to capture.  

    Billing data are often used to measure and monitor services to patients provided by physicians on a provincial scale. Since IHPs do not bill OHIP, these data are of limited value for examining their work. AFHTO has been working on finding ways to show the value of interprofessional healthcare providers for many years and the standardized, cleaned, and curated provincial-level EMR data for analytics available through POPLAR provides an avenue to do this work.

    Currently, AFHTO is working with POPLAR on a project that involves developing methods to determine which encounters involved IHPs from which discipline, and what types of encounters these were. Larger scale information on IHP work can then be used to correlate patient outcomes and IHP activity. Knowing more about what IHPs do and their impact on patient care and outcomes is a key aspect of planning for team-based care across Ontario.

    To learn more about this project, visit us at the AFHTO Conference during Concurrent Session A: The Value of IHPs In Team-Based Primary Care: Large Scale Measurement and Effects on Outcomes.

    POPLAR to Help Lead Pan-Canadian Study of Outpatient Interventions for Mild to Moderate COVID-19

    Content below developed by CanTreatCOVID Team & POPLAR

    CanTreatCOVID Canadian Adaptive Platform Trial of Treatments for COVID in Community Settings To the left is a graphic of stylised molecule with pills at the center

    While public health measures and vaccines have reduced the impact of COVID-19, most scientists predict that new variants will continue to emerge, and that the virus will become endemic. The Canadian Adaptive Platform Trial of Treatments for COVID in Community Settings (CanTreatCOVID) spans 6 provinces across Canada and aims to identify effective and affordable out-patient medications for COVID-19 so that they can be made readily available in community settings, including for those at a higher risk for hospitalization and death.

    Currently, the evidence supporting existing medications is weak and provincial guidelines are complex, making decision-making by health care providers, provincial decision-makers, public health leaders, and patients extremely difficult. Adaptive platform trials (APTs) are designed to concurrently compare multiple interventions and allow the inclusion, exclusion, and removal of treatment arms over time-based on a decision algorithm. This makes APTs uniquely suited to studying medications for this novel and dynamic virus.

    During the COVID-19 pandemic, APTs have been crucial in identifying what does and does not work in the treatment of COVID-19 among in-patients, and CanTreatCOVID hopes to replicate this success at the community level. The trial is open to Canadian residents aged 50 years and older, or between the ages of 18 and 49 with 1 or more chronic high-risk medical condition or immunosuppression. Eligible patients must also be within the first 5 days of experiencing symptoms associated with COVID-19 and test positive for the condition.

    In Ontario, building on work done in the past 10+ years, POPLAR will be supporting CanTreatCOVID’s multi-faceted recruitment strategy through prospective recruitment of patients using EMR data from its primary care research and learning networks.

    Recruitment of patients is set to launch in late 2022. To find out how you and your patients can participate, follow the project through their webpage and newsletter, or on Twitter using #CanTreatCOVID.

    CareCanvas: A New Tool to Support Practice Improvement

    Content below developed by the University of Toronto Department of Family and Community Medicine & POPLAR

    The University of Toronto Department of Family and Community Medicine and the POPLAR network are launching a new tool to support practice improvement. CareCanvas is an interactive web-based dashboard that summarizes clinical information from your practice EMR to make it easier to care for your patients. Three types of dashboards are available: one for physicians, one for clinics, and one for Ontario Health Teams.

    CareCanvas summarizes more than 15 quality of care measures including information on diabetes, hypertension, prescribing, and immunizations. You can see trends in your practice over time and can compare your practice to your peers. For some measures, you can see differences in care by age, gender, and neighbourhood income. Click here to view the dashboard.

    CareCanvas makes it easier for you to catch up on chronic disease and preventative care. Physicians can download a list of at-risk patients who would benefit from follow-up.

    CareCanvas is private, secure, and available at no cost. Physicians will be able to use their OneID account to sign-in. Data will be updated approximately every 6 months.

    To access CareCanvas, physicians need to use Telus Practice Solutions, Accuro, or Oscar and contribute their data to one of the seven Practice Based Research Networks that make up the POPLAR network.

    Starting in November, CareCanvas will be available to existing UTOPIAN contributors, with plans to expand the program to all of POPLAR in early 2023.  There is no limit to the number of physicians that can sign up and the value of CareCanvas will grow as more physicians participate and contribute data to POPLAR.

     

    Upcoming Events

    POPLAR Webinar Series: EDIIA in Research
    Equitably improving primary health care requires research and practice-based learning that are thoroughly grounded in the principles of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, Indigeneity, and Accessibility (EDIIA). POPLAR, Ontario’s provincial primary healthcare Practice-Based Learning and Research Network has the vision to advance equitable primary healthcare delivery and health outcomes for everyone in Ontario, and is hosting the following webinars for anyone who wants to learn more about building these principles into their work:

     
    Part 3: Embedding Equity in Leadership and Teams- Measuring EDIIA
    Wednesday, September 21, 2022, 12-1 pm | Dr. Nicole Kaniki, University of Toronto
    Learn more and register here.

    Part 4: EDIIA and Data – Building Capacity
    Wednesday, October 19, 2022, 12-1 pm | Dr. Andrew Pinto, Upstream Labs
    Learn more and register here.

    NPAO 2022 Annual Conference
    Thursday, September 22 to Friday September 23, 2022
    This year’s theme is The NP Experience: Pushing Boundaries Towards Common Goals. Find out more here.

    HSPN OHT Webinar: Leadership Survey Results
    Tuesday, September 27, 2022, 12-1:30 pm
    This webinar will provide new findings from the HSPN Organizing for Ontario Health Teams’ Survey comparing and contrasting current state with results from the same surveys undertaken in 2020 and 2021. Register here.

    OMD Digital Health and Virtual Care Conference
    Thursday, September 29 to Friday, September 30, 2022
    Learn how to take advantage of innovative technologies to realize more of their benefits and integrate them with your EMR workflows. Find out more here.
     
    AFHTO 2022 Conference
    Wednesday, October 12, 2022
    Join your peers from across Ontario and beyond as we reconnect and reimagine, moving forward together. Members get more than 50% off registration. Register here.

     

    In Case You Missed It: Check out eBulletin #120 or other back issues here!
    Questions? Comments? Contact us at improve@afhto.ca.

  • Bits & Pieces: deadline to come to #AFHTO2022 for free and more

    Bits & Pieces: deadline to come to #AFHTO2022 for free and more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In This Issue  
    • Deadline to come to #AFHTO2022 for free is today
    • Reminder- Wellness Check: Dealing with Transitions and Managing Stress, Sep. 15
    • Member stories
    • Paxlovid memo, addendum to COVID-19 PPE guidance and more

     
    • Integrate early literacy into your practice with Early Words/Premiers mots
    • Ontario Health seeking feedback on a new quality standard: sickle cell disease
    • Upcoming events including Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health and more

    Deadline to come to #AFHTO2022 for free is today
    We have several openings for program hosts. These volunteers help keep our sessions on track and get complimentary registration in return. See the role description here and email paula.myers@afhto.ca if you’re interested. Deadline Aug. 31, 2022.

    Reminder- Wellness Check: Dealing with Transitions and Managing Stress, Sep. 15

    Hosted in partnership with the Canadian Mental Health Association Ontario, participants will have the opportunity to gain insight into change processes and their impact on workplace mental health. Learn more and register here.

    Member stories

    A large group of CarePoint Health staff stand in front of their logo in thier building

    CarePoint Health – PMH Success Story: CarePoint Health

    Credit Valley FHT – Canada experiencing shortage of family doctors

    Paxlovid memo, addendum to COVID-19 PPE guidance and more

    Recent updates include:

    • Memo – Paxlovid prescribing in primary care – Testing and tools – EN and FR– OH, Aug. 30, 2022
    • Addendum: Guidelines for Pandemic Stockpile Use- EN and FR – MOH, Aug. 24, 2022

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

    Integrate early literacy into your practice with Early Words/Premiers mots

    The Canadian Children’s Literacy Foundation is inviting clinics and hospitals across Canada to apply to join its Early Words/Premier mots program. Early Words provides healthcare professionals with resources, training, and books to deliver early literacy support to families with babies and young children.

    If your team serves children from newborn to age five who face barriers to literacy, you can learn more here, and apply to join here. Expressions of interest are due by Sep. 30. For more information please email earlywords@childrensliteracy.ca.

    Ontario Health seeking feedback on a new quality standard: sickle cell disease
    Ontario Health is developing a new quality standard for sickle cell disease and invite you to review the draft and offer feedback. Primary care providers can play a key role in monitoring of symptoms and management of chronic complications for people with sickle cell disease. The quality standard and patient guide will be available for review here from September 2 to 23.

    Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health: A Three-Part Series, starting Sep. 15, 2022
    Hosted by ECHO Ontario Child and Youth Mental Health. Register here.

    Immunizations Across the Lifespan, Sep. 17, 2022

    Hosted by Canadian Collaborative Research Network for family physicians and pharmacists. Register here.

    OMGMA Conference 2022: Together Again, Sep. 21- 23, 2022
    In-person event in Mississauga. Register here.

    OMD Digital Health and Virtual Care Conference, Sep. 29-30, 2022
    Virtual conference hosted by OntarioMD. Find out more here.

    AFHTO 2022 Conference, Oct. 12, 2022

    Join your peers from across Ontario and beyond as we reconnect and reimagine, moving forward together.

    Members get more than 50% off registration. Register with your verification code here.

  • QI in Action eBulletin #120: Striving for Health Equity and Better Health Outcomes

    In this Issue:

    • Striving for Health Equity and Better Health Outcomes at McMaster FHT
    • Targeted Poverty Screening Process Improves Health Equity
    • Collecting Race-Based and Indigenous Identity Data
    • Learning Opportunities
    • Upcoming Events

     

    Striving for Health Equity and Better Health Outcomes at McMaster FHT
    Content below developed by McMaster FHT

    Through the expertise and passion of Dr. Tejal Patel, Andrea Pansoy (PA), Dr. Amanda Ramdyal and Dr Anjali Menezes, McMaster FHT (MFHT) has developed an interactive program focused on equity, diversity, inclusion (EDI), anti-racism and anti-oppression (AR/AO) that has led to the hiring of a full-time EDI and AR Partner. Initially, a 4-part EDI & AR/AO educational session was created in response to a global awakening that is ongoing but came to a head in 2020.

    After the tremendous success of the initial series, the 3 creators and the EDI/AR Partner continue to support both the MFHT and our community partners formally and informally, through continued offerings including workshops, a lending library, a community of practice, weekly newsletter updates regarding internal and external events and learning opportunities, multi-cultural calendars and more. The MFHT has changed its approach to recruitment and retention and collaborates with equity deserving suppliers.

    Finally, the launch of the DFM Racialized Community of Support took place in June 2022, creating a safe space for self-identifying Black, Indigenous and/or racialized staff and faculty. Such a support group already exists for the family medicine residents learning at the MFHT, started by 2 residents in 2020/21.

    The team has created a Community of Practice and support groups, shared their reflective anti-racism and EDI prompts with 3 clinical Departments and their residency programs, as well as with the GHHN. Invitations have been extended further to other McMaster staff and faculty, as well as community partners to attend education sessions and promote the dissemination of this material.

    The team is working with resident groups to integrate this educational framework into resident education at McMaster University, and they are working on a literature review of anti-racism teaching within medical education. Find more information here or contact Jill Berridge at berridj@mcmaster.ca.

    Targeted Poverty Screening Process Improves Health Equity
    A research team at North York General Hospital and the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Toronto created an innovative way for family physicians to use a validated tool to screen their patients for poverty.

    The project used data managed by the University of Toronto Practice-Based Research Network (UTOPIAN) to identify patients living in low-income neighbourhoods by postal code and Statistics Canada census information and create a chart alert. During patient visits, physicians could then see the alert and use the evidence-based clinical tool to assess for poverty. Then if needed, physicians could offer referrals to North York FHT case workers to provide supports to improve patients’ well-being, which includes tax-filing assistance and income optimization. The results from this study are published in this peer-reviewed article.

    This project is one of the first to incorporate neighbourhood-level data into EMRs in community primary care settings and was funded through a Patient’s Medical Home Caring and Compassion Grant from the College of Family Physicians of Canada. For more information, please contact Joyce Lo at jlo@nyfht.com.

    Collecting Race-Based and Indigenous Identity Data
    CIHI released pan-Canadian minimum standards for collecting race-based and Indigenous identity data in health systems, along with guidance on their use. You can also view a supplementary report that identifies some key concepts and considerations related to collecting and using race-based and Indigenous identity data. For questions on the guidance and standards, please contact populationhealth@cihi.ca.

    Learning Opportunities
    2SLGBTQI Identity and Dementia: An Introduction for Healthcare and Social Service Professionals
    Egale Canada has a free e-module that takes 45-60 minutes to complete and is designed for healthcare providers, social work professionals, and other support personnel specializing in the care of people living with dementia. It may also be of interest to anyone working in homecare, community care or long-term care settings. For more information and to fill out the form to access any of Egale’s e-modules, click here.

    Call It Out: Racism, Racial Discrimination and Human Rights
    A 30-minute interactive eCourse from the Ontario Human Rights Commission that offers a foundation for learning about race, racial discrimination, and human rights protections under Ontario’s Human Rights Code. The course offers a historical overview of racism and racial discrimination, explains what “race”, “racism” and “racial discrimination” mean, and provides approaches to preventing and addressing racial discrimination.

    Upcoming Events

    Health Care Innovation: New Opportunities in the Digital Era
    Monday, September 12, 2022, 12:30-4:00 pm | Globe and Mail
    This half-day event will bring leading voices and experts in health care innovation together to discuss where the greatest opportunities lie, along with strategies to overcome barriers to implementation. Register here.

    Wellness Check: Dealing with Transitions and Managing Stress Webinar
    Thursday, September 15, 2022, 12-1 pm | Canadian Mental Health Association Ontario & AFHTO
    In a webinar hosted in partnership with CMHA Ontario, participants will have the opportunity to gain insight into change processes and their impact on workplace mental health from Nancy Hood, the head trainer of the Your Health Space program. Strategies for managing hybrid working models and combating stress will also be explored. Learn more and register here.

    POPLAR Webinar Series: EDIIA in Research
    Equitably improving primary health care requires research and practice-based learning that are thoroughly grounded in the principles of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, Indigeneity, and Accessibility (EDIIA). POPLAR, Ontario’s provincial primary healthcare Practice-Based Learning and Research Network has the vision to advance equitable primary healthcare delivery and health outcomes for everyone in Ontario, and is hosting the following webinars for anyone who wants to learn more about building these principles into their work:
     
    Part 2: Building Research Projects with an EDIIA Lens
    Friday, August 26, 2022, 12-1 pm | Dr. Vivian R. Ramsden, University of Saskatchewan
    Learn more and register here.

     
    Part 3: Embedding Equity in Leadership and Teams- Measuring EDIIA
    Wednesday, September 21, 2022, 12-1 pm | Dr. Nicole Kaniki, University of Toronto
    Learn more and register here.

    Part 4: EDIIA and Data – Building Capacity
    Wednesday, October 19, 2022, 12-1 pm | Dr. Andrew Pinto, Upstream Labs
    Learn more and register here.

    OMD Digital Health and Virtual Care Conference
    Thursday, September 29 to Friday, September 30, 2022
    Learn how to take advantage of innovative technologies to realize more of their benefits and integrate them with your EMR workflows. Find out more here.
     
    AFHTO 2022 Conference
    Wednesday, October 12, 2022
    Join your peers from across Ontario and beyond as we reconnect and reimagine, moving forward together. Members get more than 50% off registration. Register here.

     

    In Case You Missed It: Check out eBulletin #119 or other back issues here!
    Questions? Comments? Contact us at improve@afhto.ca.

  • Striving for Health Equity and Better Health Outcomes at McMaster FHT

    Content below developed by McMaster Family Health Team

    Through the expertise and passion of Dr. Tejal Patel, Andrea Pansoy (PA), Dr. Amanda Ramdyal and Dr Anjali Menezes, the McMaster FHT (MFHT) has developed an interactive program focused on equity, diversity, inclusion (EDI), anti-racism and anti-oppression (AR/AO) that has led to the hiring of full-time EDI and AR Partner. Initially, a 4-part EDI & AR/AO educational session was created in response to a global awakening that is ongoing but came to a head in 2020. After the tremendous success of the initial series, the 3 creators and the EDI/AR Partner continue to support both the MFHT and our community partners formally and informally, through continued offerings including workshops, a lending library, a community of practice, weekly newsletter updates regarding internal and external events and learning opportunities, multi-cultural calendars and more. The MFHT has changed its approach to recruitment and retention and collaborates with equity deserving suppliers. Finally, the launch of the DFM Racialized Community of Support took place in June 2022, creating a safe space for self-identifying Black, Indigenous and/or racialized staff and faculty. Such a support group already exists for the family medicine residents learning at the MFHT, started by 2 residents in 2020/21. 

    Over the course of the offered workshops to date, attendance remains high with the average session attracting 40-100 people and overall participation for cumulative sessions is 700+. The Community of Support group had 13 participants in its inaugural session while the Resident Support Group averages approximately 20+ participants each meeting. These high attendance values reinforce the subjective comments the team receives regarding the impact, engagement and positive learning experience these sessions are providing. Further objective data obtained in a post-attendance feedback survey demonstrates 93% of survey respondents feel these sessions are a safe space in which to participate. The most common constructive feedback obtained through these same surveys is a regret regarding time limitations. 

    Through the many and varied offerings, feedback is solicited by participants to assist the team in evolving future offerings based on constructive and positive suggestions. Patients at the MFHT have the opportunity to reflect on their experiences through our bi-annual Patient Satisfaction Surveys, as well as in the upcoming Patient Advisory Committee focus on EDI & AR/AO planned for fall 2022. The team also collaborates with other anti-racism experts, external partners and organizations to ensure further quality improvements and the latest evidence is incorporated into their work. 

    The team has created a Community of Practice and support groups, shared their reflective anti-racism and EDI prompts with 3 clinical Departments and their residency programs, as well as with the GHHN. Invitations have been extended further to other McMaster staff and faculty, as well as community partners to attend education sessions and promote the dissemination of this material. The team is working with resident groups to integrate this educational framework into resident education at McMaster University, and they are working on a literature review of anti-racism teaching within medical education. For more information, please contact Jill Berridge at berridj@mcmaster.ca. 
     

  • Bits & Pieces: networking session leads wanted and more

    Bits & Pieces: networking session leads wanted and more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In This Issue  
    • AFHTO 2022 Conference networking leads wanted
    • Nominate a partner or healthcare inspiration for an AFHTO Board award
    • Member stories
    • Funding opportunities – capital grant & supporting mental health and wellness
    • Government of Canada invests $10 million in research on outpatient medications for COVID-19 and more
    • Reminder- nominations to the AFHTO Board of Directors open until July 29, 2022
    • The war in Ukraine and refugee health care: considerations for health care providers in Canada
    • Reminder – apply to join AFHTO’s IHP Advisory Council
    • Upcoming events including supporting patients amid an opioid epidemic and more

    AFHTO 2022 Conference networking leads wanted

    We have an hour in the schedule at the AFHTO 2022 conference for networking, and we’d like IHP session leads. Leads are responsible for programming while AFHTO staff will simply allocate the rooms. Smaller groups will be able to meet at a table in the ballroom. Limited space is available, so this is first come, first serve.

    If you are interested in leading an IHP session, please contact Beth MacKinnon by July 29, 2022.

     Nominate a partner or healthcare inspiration for an AFHTO Board award

    Screenshot of opening of 2021 board award winner video. Logo at top with Board Award, Dr. Brian Klar 2021 below. Background is navy blue with gold stars.

    The AFHTO board invites all members to help them select the recipient of a Board award.

    The Board award recognizes an individual (or a group) who is not an AFHTO member but has significantly contributed to the development and growth of team-based primary care within their local community or at the provincial level.

    Submit a nomination online for the Board Award category by August 19, 2022.

    Find out more about the criteria here. You can find the nomination template here.

    Member stories

    Belleville NPLC– extension for unattached patients program

    Minto Mapleton FHT– showcasing team members on Facebook. Feel free to share and use as a starting point for your own team.

    Funding opportunities – capital grant & supporting mental health and wellness

    AFHTO members in collaboration with partners may be eligible for:

    Government of Canada invests $10 million in research on outpatient medications for COVID-19 and more

    Recent updates include:

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

    Reminder- nominations to the AFHTO Board of Directors open until July 29, 2022
    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. Find out more here.

    The war in Ukraine and refugee health care: considerations for health care providers in Canada
    CMAJ article published Jul. 11, 2022. Read the full details here.

    Reminder – apply to join AFHTO’s IHP Advisory Council!

    Are you interested in advising AFHTO on the top issues facing IHPs in team-based primary care? Would you like to be a leader in working with IHPs in primary care to advocate for and to speak to the critical role of teams? Would you like to share and spread knowledge and learnings? If yes, please apply to join our IHP Advisory Council!

    We invite any IHP in a member team to apply by completing this survey by Friday, July 29.

    More information is here. Please share this opportunity with providers across teams.

    Webinar Series: Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, Indigeneity, and Accessibility in Research, July 25- October 19, 2022

    Hosted by the Alliance and the Primary Care Ontario Practice-Based Learning and Research (POPLAR) Network

    Supporting patients amid an opioid epidemic, July 27, 2022
    Session by the Practising Well CoP, an intentional conversation for shared learning hosted by the OCFP and the DFCM Division of Mental Health and Addictions. Register here.

    Integrating Hepatitis C Care with Safer Supply Practice, July 28, 2022

    Co-hosted by National Safer Supply Community of Practice and CATIE on World Hepatitis Day. Register here.

    Demystifying the Cloud for Nonprofits, July 28, 2022
    Hosted by TechSoup with presentation by Amazon Web Services. Register here.

    NPAO 2022 Annual Conference, Sep. 22-23, 2022

    This years’ Conference theme is The NP Experience: Pushing Boundaries Towards Common Goals. Find out more here.

    AFHTO 2022 Conference, Oct. 12, 2022

    Join your peers from across Ontario and beyond as we reconnect and reimagine, moving forward together.

    Members get more than 50% off registration. Registration with your verification code here.

  • Bits & Pieces: #AFHTO2022 registration open and more

    Bits & Pieces: #AFHTO2022 registration open and more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In This Issue  
    • AFHTO 2022 Conference registration now live
    • Bright Lights education grants now available- deadline this Friday, July 15
    • Ontario Fall Prevention Collaborative slides and video available
    • Ontarians aged 18+ eligible for second booster shot and more
    • Reminder- nominations to the AFHTO Board of Directors open until July 29, 2022
    • Call for content- OLTC 2022 Virtual Conference
    • 2SLGBTQI identity and dementia: an introduction for healthcare and social service professionals
    • Reminder – apply to join AFHTO’s IHP Advisory Council
    • Upcoming events including Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, Indigeneity, and Accessibility in Research and more

    AFHTO 2022 Conference logo- background is multicoloured streaks going towards an abstract event horizon

     

    AFHTO 2022 Conference registration now live

    Registration now open for the AFHTO 2022 Conference! Join your peers from across Ontario and beyond as we reconnect and reimagine, moving forward together.

    Members get more than 50% off registration. A code (sent by email to all members who have paid 2022-2023 membership fees in full) will be required to receive the membership rate. If you do not know your organization’s verification code, please contact your administrator.

     

    Bright Lights education grants now available- deadline this Friday, July 15

    All awards now receive an education grant, sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim, including the award for underrepresented teams! Find out more here.

    Don’t be left out- send in your nominations and supporting documents before the deadline, this Friday, July 15.

    Screenshot of Ontario Fall Prevention Collaborative webinar title slide

     

    Ontario Fall Prevention Collaborative slides and video available

    On June 23 we heard about the work of the Ontario Fall Prevention Collaborative as it pertains to identified priorities around fall indicators and falls risk screening and assessment and how we can better align our efforts across the province. Slides and video are available here.

    Ontarians aged 18+ eligible for second booster shot and more

    Recent updates include:

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

    Reminder- nominations to the AFHTO Board of Directors open until July 29, 2022
    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. Find out more here.

    Call for content- OLTC 2022 Virtual Conference
    The Ontario Long Term Care Association’s (OLTCA) This is Long Term Care 2022 virtual conference is taking place Oct. 24-26. To submit an abstract or to learn more click here. Abstract deadline Aug. 10.

    2SLGBTQI identity and dementia: an introduction for healthcare and social service professionals
    Egale Canada has a free e-module designed for healthcare providers, social work professionals, and other support personnel specializing in the care of people living with dementia. There’s also another for unpaid carers, and further resources on their site. Find out more here.

    Reminder – apply to join AFHTO’s IHP Advisory Council!

    Are you interested in advising AFHTO on the top issues facing IHPs in team-based primary care? Would you like to be a leader in working with IHPs in primary care to advocate for and to speak to the critical role of teams? Would you like to share and spread knowledge and learnings? If yes, please apply to join our IHP Advisory Council!

    We invite any IHP in a member team to apply by completing this survey by Friday, July 29.

    More information is here. Please share this opportunity with providers across teams.

    Webinar Series: Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, Indigeneity, and Accessibility in Research, July 25- October 19, 2022

    Hosted by the Alliance and the Primary Care Ontario Practice-Based Learning and Research (POPLAR) Network

    Supporting patients amid an opioid epidemic, July 27, 2022
    Session by the Practising Well CoP, an intentional conversation for shared learning hosted by the OCFP and the DFCM Division of Mental Health and Addictions. Register here.

    Integrating Hepatitis C Care with Safer Supply Practice, July 28, 2022

    Co-hosted by National Safer Supply Community of Practice and CATIE on World Hepatitis Day. Register here.

    Demystifying the Cloud for Nonprofits, July 28, 2022
    Hosted by TechSoup with presentation by Amazon Web Services. Register here.

    NPAO 2022 Annual Conference, Sep. 22-23, 2022

    This years’ Conference theme is The NP Experience: Pushing Boundaries Towards Common Goals. Find out more here.

  • 2022 Conference Themes

    2022 Conference Themes

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