In this Issue:
- What is POPLAR?
- POPLAR and COVID-19 Vaccine Prioritization
- Data Security & Privacy
- How to Register?
- COVID-19 Cancer Screening Tip Sheet for Primary Care Providers
- Primary Care Patient/Client Virtual Care Experience Survey
- Upcoming Webinars
What is 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 securely collects and de-identifies electronic medical record (EMR) data to support practices in delivering optimal care across Ontario and strengthen practice-based clinical research and quality improvement processes.
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. Currently, over 1,000 family physicians are contributing EMR data for over 1.8 million patients to the POPLAR database.
POPLAR and COVID-19 Vaccine Prioritization
Building on the work POPLAR has done in the past 10+ years, POPLAR can assist practices wishing to identify patients that should be prioritized for COVID-19 vaccinations. This relies on EMR data that have been extracted from primary care practices, cleaned, and standardized. The data can accurately identify groups of patients meeting various criteria.
Complex queries can sometimes be difficult to run in EMRs. POPLAR can readily flag patients to be prioritized when the identification parameters rely on multiple criteria (e.g., age range + uncontrolled diabetes + obesity).
POPLAR data is also linkable to census data, which means that differences in neighborhood socio-economic levels can be added to health data in EMRs; this allows a more comprehensive assessment of risks. This is especially relevant for vaccination prioritization: we know that social challenges our patients live with, such as poverty, can be associated with a greater risk of contracting COVID-19 and greater risk of serious complications once infected.
POPLAR can obtain aggregate measures from census data at the neighbourhood level, including type of residence, immigration status, average household income, unemployment, education.
There is strong evidence in Ontario that the risk of infection varies by neighbourhood and is associated with each neighborhood’s socio-demographic profile. For example, in Ottawa, neighbourhoods with more Black, Middle Eastern, low income, and single-family residents have higher rates of COVID-19 infections.
We can only understand the impact of COVID-19 on our practices and our patients through collecting and analyzing accurate and representative health data. The pandemic has exposed many data gaps in Ontario. Our teams are vitally important to ensure that those we serve are included, as our information reflects our settings, patients, and communities. Collectively, primary care’s voice can be heard by providing safe and secure access to real-world data; this is possible with your help! Register with the POPLAR network member closest to you today to start contributing your EMR data.
Data Security & Privacy
POPLAR only studies de-identified patient and practice data. POPLAR complies with robust ethics, governance and security measures. Individual patients have the right to opt out of their data being collected through POPLAR’s networks for research.
How to Register?
Help POPLAR build practical evidence in family medicine, by supporting the collective Culture of Curiosity and by contributing data. 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 contact Sandeep Gill at Sandeep.gill@afhto.ca, who will then direct your query to your local network contact. More information can also be found on the AFHTO website here.
COVID-19 Cancer Screening Tip Sheet for Primary Care Providers
In June 2020, Ontario Health (Cancer Care Ontario) released COVID-19 Tip Sheet #15: Guidance for primary care providers resuming breast, cervical and colorectal cancer screening to support primary care providers as they resumed cancer screening. This updated streamlined tip sheet was developed to continue to support primary care providers with cancer screening based on ongoing fluctuations in COVID-19 cases and local variation in COVID-19 trends.
Primary Care Patient/Client Virtual Care Experience Survey
Last year, we launched the Primary Care Patient/Client Virtual Care Experience Survey for teams to implement in order to capture the patient experience with virtual care. Moving ahead we are collecting teams’ aggregate responses as we create a narrative of how virtual care could be permanently included in the patient care journey – submit your data here!
Upcoming Webinars:
Primary Care Virtual Groups – Transitioning A CBT Program & Cardio-Pulmonary Rehab Program To Virtual
February 17, 2021 (12-1 pm EST)
This webinar is in collaboration with two Family Health Teams transitioning in person programs to virtual. Scarborough Academic FHT will share how they transferred their CBT skills group for depression and anxiety to online along with the benefits and challenges. Arnprior FHT is presenting on how they modified an in-person Cardio-Pulmonary Rehab to Virtual in the rural community of Arnprior, ON. Learn more and register here.
Engaging and Supporting Caregivers In Primary Care Teams: Working Together To Improve Outcomes And Enhance The Patient, Caregiver, And Family Experience
February 25, 2021 (12-1 pm EST)
In this webinar, learn about the Ontario Caregiver Organization and the key programs, services, and resources they offer. Learn about three key caregiver-related strategies that can positively impact health outcomes and the patient/family/caregiver experience. Find out about resources, programs, and actions that primary care teams can take to help advance these strategies. Learn more and register here.
Interested in sharing your teams’ initiatives in a future webinar? Email Sandeep Gill – Sandeep.gill@afhto.ca to learn more about the AFHTO KTE Webinar Schedule!
In Case You Missed It: Check out eBulletin #103 or other back issues here!
Questions? Comments? Contact us at improve@afhto.ca.
Leave a Reply