Demonstrating the value of team-based care

There is a compelling association between comprehensive primary care and system efficiency and effectiveness. The lifelong work of the late Barbara Starfield observed that an investment in primary care was associated with improved system quality, equity and efficiency (reduced cost). In British
On November 25, 2015 the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES) released the report Comparison of Family Health Teams to Other Ontario Primary Care Models, 2004/05 to 2011/12. This report compares outcomes of Family Health Team (FHT) patients in relation to other major models of primary
On Thursday, November 12, 2015 the Ontario College of Family Physicians (OCFP) held their 2015 President’s Installation and Awards Ceremony as part of the Family Medicine Forum. Family health teams and their affiliated physicians played a major role in the proceedings, especially Dr. Sarah-Lynn
Health Quality Ontario released Quality in Primary Care: Setting a foundation for monitoring and reporting in Ontario today. The report provides a snapshot of how the province is performing in access to primary care providers, provision of specific primary care services, and coordination with other
AFHTO has awarded nine innovators for their work in making meaningful improvements in patient health, how patients experience their care, and how efficiently healthcare resources are used. The awards recognize individuals for their leadership and the work being conducted to improve the value of
Health Quality Ontario (HQO) has released its yearly report on Ontario’s health system, Measuring Up. Based on the Common Quality Agenda, the report presents a profile of Ontarians’ health, the performance of our health system and a comparison with the rest of Canada and other countries. As such,
On September 25, 2015 the Nurse Practitioners’ Association of Ontario (NPAO) held their Awards and Celebration Dinner as part of their annual conference. Nurse practitioners (NPs) from different organizations were honoured, with half of the awards presented to NPs from member FHTs and NPLCs.
According to research published in in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ), switching doctors from fee-for-service payment and adding interprofessional health providers to the team appears to result in moderately improved diabetes care for Ontario patients. "Our study suggests that
AFHTO members are leading the way to advance manageable and meaningful measurement across primary care. This work is critical. Around the world, cost-effective, high-performing health systems are based on a strong foundation of comprehensive primary care; robust measurement is a mandatory
July 3 – Dr. Ruth Wilson, a Queen’s FHT physician and former AFHTO board member, was named a member of the Order of Canada on Canada Day. The recipient of numerous awards, Dr. Wilson, who’s also a professor in the Department of Family Medicine at Queen's University, was moved by the honour, saying
A new Electronic Medical Record (EMR) query to identify patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is available to all primary care providers using Accuro EMR. The query was developed by QIDS Specialists from the Windsor FHT and East GTA FHT and validated by
Evidence tells us that, with a team-based approach to primary care, patients experience more timely access to care, better care coordination and improved management of their chronic diseases. At present, about 25-30% of Ontarians can access team-based primary care. The logical question is – how do