Dr Cavers replies
While I am disappointed that Dr Potter-Cogan did not feel his involvement with the Practice Support Program (PSP) was worthwhile, the scope of this initiative made it inevitable that there would be a full spectrum of feedback from kudos to brickbats.
Currently, 810 individual GPs are enrolled in the PSP, and by next April, 1211 GPs will have been involved—a wide range of personalities and practice styles. The overall feedback has been very positive, the drop-out rate from modules offered has been small, and more than half of the GPs have signed up for more than one module. The program is voluntary; those who do not feel it worthwhile are not forced to attend. Those who do wish to attend are remunerated for the time they and their MOAs put in.
The program is also a work in progress; I cannot remember an engagement of this scope having happened before. We are constantly reviewing the content and methods in a commitment to ongoing improvement and will shamelessly plagiarize good ideas provided in suggestions and recommendations. I thank Dr Potter-Cogan for taking the time to provide us with his input.
-Bill Cavers, MD
Co-chair, General Practice Services Committee