BC’s health care system is undergoing changes that will connect more patients with primary care and enable physicians to help patients access additional services and support. This involves increasing team-based health care through the creation of patient medical homes (PMHs) in family practices and forming primary care networks (PCNs) in communities that support longitudinal care provided by PMHs. As of June 2019, nine divisions of family practice have announced plans to form PCNs in their communities. An additional 16 divisions are planning to undertake the PCN expression of interest process in the coming months.
Data from physician practices are key to taking a practice to the next level as a PMH and enabling participation in team-based care and PCNs. Strong EMR data help identify how many patients are in the practice, what conditions those patients have, and the kinds of in-practice and team-based supports (like allied health providers) that can help provide proactive care for these patients. This in turn helps divisions understand the needs of patient populations and the broader communities as they plan PCNs.
To contribute accurate, up-to-date data to inform the PCN planning process, physicians can adopt PMH attributes in their practice and undertake the General Practice Services Committee’s Phases of Panel Management.[1] As of May 2019, more than 1300 doctors around the province were involved in this work. Updating patient data through the Phases of Panel Management also benefits physicians and their patients in a number of ways:
The GPSC supports physicians to update and manage their patient data in a number of ways. Regional support teams, panel assistants,* and remote EMR services* are available through the Practice Support Program to help physicians clean up their data, and the Panel Development Incentive compensates eligible family doctors for their time and effort to develop and manage their panels. The Doctors Technology Office (DTO) provides EMR supports as well. See the list of GPSC and DTO supports, along with links to additional information [Table [11]].
To learn more about primary care networks, visit the GPSC website (www.gpscbc.ca/what-we-do/system-change/primary-care-networks [12]) and contact your local division of family practice to find out how to contribute to PCN planning and implementation in your community.
—Alana GodinDirector, Community Practice and Quality, Community Practice, Quality and Integration Department
—Afsaneh MoradiDirector, Community Partnership and Integration
* Panel assistants and remote EMR services are currently only available in PCN communities.
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This article is the opinion of the GPSC and has not been peer reviewed by the BCMJ Editorial Board.
1. General Practice Services Committee. Professional development. Panel management. Accessed 22 May 2019. www.gpscbc.ca/what-we-do/professional-development/psp/panel-management [13].
2. General Practice Services Committee. Our Impact. Proactive panel management improves practice efficiency in Cowichan Valley. Accessed 23 May 2019. www.gpscbc.ca/our-impact/practice-support/proactive-panel-management-improves-practice-efficiency-cowichan-valley [14].
Links
[1] https://bcmj.org/cover/julyaugust-2019
[2] https://bcmj.org/author/alana-godin
[3] https://bcmj.org/author/afsaneh-moradi
[4] https://bcmj.org/node/7344
[5] https://bcmj.org/sites/default/files/BCMJ_Vol61_No6_gpsc.pdf
[6] https://bcmj.org/print/gpsc/value-data-identifying-patient-and-community-needs-inform-primary-care-networks
[7] https://bcmj.org/printmail/gpsc/value-data-identifying-patient-and-community-needs-inform-primary-care-networks
[8] http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https://bcmj.org/print/gpsc/value-data-identifying-patient-and-community-needs-inform-primary-care-networks
[9] https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=The value of data: Identifying patient and community needs to inform primary care networks&url=https://bcmj.org/print/gpsc/value-data-identifying-patient-and-community-needs-inform-primary-care-networks&via=BCMedicalJrnl&tw_p=tweetbutton
[10] https://bcmj.org/javascript%3A%3B
[11] https://bcmj.org/sites/default/files/public/BCMJ_Vol61_No6_gpsc_web_table.jpg
[12] http://www.gpscbc.ca/what-we-do/system-change/primary-care-networks
[13] http://www.gpscbc.ca/what-we-do/professional-development/psp/panel-management
[14] http://www.gpscbc.ca/our-impact/practice-support/proactive-panel-management-improves-practice-efficiency-cowichan-valley
[15] https://bcmj.org/modal_forms/nojs/webform/176
[16] https://bcmj.org/%3Finline%3Dtrue%23citationpop