Suchergebnisse

En 2008, le gouvernement du Québec a mandaté les quatre-vingt-quatorze centres de santé et des services sociaux (CSSS) d'introduire un guichet d'accès aux « clientèles orphelines » (GACO; le terme de clientèle orpheline désigne les patients n'ayant pas accès à un médecin de famille) au sein de leur organisation. L'objectif des GACO est d'augmenter le nombre de patients avec un médecin de famille et de prioriser les patients vulnérables. La médiatisation de l'enjeu des patients orphelins et la Fédération des médecins omnipraticiens du Québec ont joué un rôle prépondérant dans la conceptualisation et l'introduction de cette réforme. Peu de balises ont encadré le développement de cette réforme laissant donc une grande flexibilité dans les stratégies de mises en œuvre à chacun des CSSS. Cette marge de manœuvre à l'échelle locale a entraîné une variation dans l'offre de services des GACO, conduisant à une inéquité de services pour la population. Depuis leur implantation, les incitatifs financiers mis en place pour favoriser la participation des médecins de famille ont été modifiés à deux reprises, particulièrement pour faciliter la prise en charge des clientèles plus vulnérables via les GACO. Une étude récente a montré que, malgré un différentiel important dans les incitatifs financiers donnés aux médecins pour des patients vulnérables, plus de 70% des patients inscrits à un médecin de famille via les GACO étaient des patients non vulnérables et provenaient majoritairement d'une au- toréférence par un médecin de famille. Le GACO répond, cependant, à une problématique importante en visant à réduire le nombre de personnes sans médecin de famille. In 2008, the Quebec government mandated the ninety-four Centres de Santé et des Services Sociaux (CSSS or Centres for Health and Social Services) to implement a Guichet d'Accès aux Clientèles Orphelines (GACO)—a centralized waiting list to help patients without a family physician find one. Specifically, the goal of GACOs is to increase the number of patients with a family physician as well as to give priority access to vulnerable patients. The media treatment of 'orphan' patients as well as the Fédération des Médecins Omnipraticiens du Québec (FMOQ or Federation of General Practitioners of Quebec) both played a crucial role in the design and implementation of the reform. How the reform should be implemented was not detailed, leaving each CSSS considerable latitude in the strategies they adopted to introduce it on the ground. This room to manoeuvre led to large variability in what services GACOs offer and inequity in access to services for the population. Since their implementation, financial incentives set up to encourage the participation of family physicians have been modified twice, in particular with the goal of increasing the enrolment of more vulnerable patients through GACOs. A recent study shows that, despite a large difference in incentives to physicians for these vulnerable patients, more than 70% of patients enrolled with a family physician through a GACO are 'non-vulnerable' and are registered into the GACO from family physician self-referrals. Nonetheless, GACOs address an important problem by reducing the number of persons without a family physician.

In 2008, the Québec government mandated the ninety-four Centres de Santé et des Services Sociaux (CSSS or Centres for Health and Social Services) to implement a Guichet d'Accès aux Clientèles Orphelines (GACO)—a centralized waiting list to help patients without a family physician find one. Specifically, the goal of GACOs is to increase the number of patients with a family physician as well as to give priority access to vulnerable patients. The media treatment of 'orphan' patients as well as the Fédération des Médecins Omnipraticiens du Québec (FMOQ or Federation of General Practitioners of Québec) both played a crucial role in the design and implementation of the reform. How the reform should be implemented was not detailed, leaving each CSSS considerable latitude in the strategies they adopted to introduce it on the ground. This room to manoeuvre led to large variability in what services GACOs offer and inequity in access to services for the population. Since their implementation, financial incentives set up to encourage the participation of family physicians have been modified twice, in particular with the goal of increasing the enrolment of more vulnerable patients through GACOs. A recent study shows that, despite a large difference in incentives to physicians for these vulnerable patients, more than 70% of patients enrolled with a family physician through a GACO are 'non-vulnerable' and are registered into the GACO from family physician self-referrals. Nonetheless, GACOs address an important problem by reducing the number of persons without a family physician. En 2008, le gouvernement du Québec a mandaté les quatre-vingt-quatorze centres de santé et des services sociaux (CSSS) d'introduire un guichet d'accès aux « clientèles orphelines » (GACO; le terme de clientèle orpheline désigne les patients n'ayant pas accès à un médecin de famille) au sein de leur organisation. L'objectif des GACO est d'augmenter le nombre de patients avec un médecin de famille et de prioriser les patients vulnérables. La médiatisation de l'enjeu des patients orphelins et la Fédération des médecins omnipraticiens du Québec ont joué un rôle prépondérant dans la conceptualisation et l'introduction de cette réforme. Peu de balises ont encadré le développement de cette réforme laissant donc une grande flexibilité dans les stratégies de mises en œuvre à chacun des CSSS. Cette marge de manœuvre à l'échelle locale a entraîné une variation dans l'offre de services des GACO, conduisant à une inéquité de services pour la population. Depuis leur implantation, les incitatifs financiers mis en place pour favoriser la participation des médecins de famille ont été modifiés à deux reprises, particulièrement pour faciliter la prise en charge des clientèles plus vulnérables via les GACO. Une étude récente a montré que, malgré un différentiel important dans les incitatifs financiers donnés aux médecins pour des patients vulnérables, plus de 70% des patients inscrits à un médecin de famille via les GACO étaient des patients non vulnérables et provenaient majoritairement d'une autoréférence par un médecin de famille. Le GACO répond, cependant, à une problématique importante en visant à réduire le nombre de personnes sans médecin de famille.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: In 2004, the Quebec government undertook a major reorganization of its health care system by integrating public health more formally into local governance structures. In all, 95 new organizations — Health and Social Services Centres (CSSS) — were created and given a population-based responsibility. This mandate required that CSSSs broaden their range of services by adopting a population-based plan and integrating public health into their activities. To accomplish this, they needed to link public health and health care issues more formally within a single governance structure. The aim of this article is to identify and analyze various activities undertaken by CSSS managers to fulfill their population-based responsibility. METHODS: We conducted a longitudinal case study of two CSSSs (2005–2008). Our analyses are based on real-time observations of 144 meetings of decision-makers/managers and professionals at the regional and local levels, 46 interviews with managers, as well as secondary data. RESULTS: CSSSs focused on five areas of population-based responsibility: primary health care, specialized services, vulnerable groups, health promotion and social services. Over time, the activities developed by CSSSs in relation to these five areas reflected an increasingly population-based perspective on the delivery of health care services. CONCLUSION: Service planning in the two cases under study is now based on a broader view of the health care continuum, and managers invest more time and resources in preventive interventions. Our study provides key information on the process of integrating a population-based perspective and preventive approaches in the planning and delivery of primary care services.

This article proposes an innovative method for the visual analysis of narrative data that involves three steps: transforming narrative data into relational data, creating two-mode networks displayed with graph optimization algorithms derived from social network analysis (SNA), and visually analyzing sociograms. We argue that understanding how actors and their opinions constitute a network-like structure opens up promising avenues for interpreting data. This approach provides powerful data visualization that facilitates inductive identification of the underlying structure of narrative data. It also reveals the complexities of the links between differently positioned actors in a structure that a personal attribute-based analytical method might overlook. Lastly, it can be productively combined with other quantitative and qualitative methods to make sense of narrative data.

Background In 2004, the Québec government implemented an important reform of the healthcare system. The reform was based on the creation of new organisations called Health Services and Social Centres (HSSC), which were formed by merging several healthcare organisations. Upon their creation, each HSSC received the legal mandate to establish and lead a Local Health Network (LHN) with different partners within their territory. This mandate promotes a 'population-based approach' based to the responsibility for the population of a local territory.

Canadian politicians, decision-makers, clinicians and researchers have come to agree that reforming primary care services is a key strategy for improving healthcare system performance. However, it is only more recently that real transformative initiatives have been undertaken in different Canadian provinces. One model that offers promise for improving primary care service delivery is the family medicine group (FMG) model developed in Quebec. A FMG is a group of physicians working closely with nurses in the provision of services to enrolled patients on a non-geographic basis. The objectives of this paper are to analyze the FMG's potential as a lever for improving healthcare system performance and to discuss how it could be improved. First, we briefly review the history of primary care in Quebec. Then we present the FMG model in relation to the four key healthcare system functions identified by the World Health Organization: (a) funding, (b) generating human and technological resources, (c) providing services to individuals and communities and (d) governance. Next, we discuss possible ways of advancing primary care reform, looking particularly at the family health team (FHT) model implemented in the province of Ontario. We conclude with recommendations to inspire other initiatives aimed at transforming primary care.

The quest for greater efficiency in health systems encourages governments to bring together two fields of practice that have largely developed in parallel in industrialized countries: public health and healthcare. Current healthcare reform in the province of Quebec formally integrates these two fields within a common governance structure. The objective of this paper is to discuss the issues arising from the integration of public health services into the planning and delivery of local healthcare services, and its potential effect on the overall performance of the healthcare system. The authors begin by describing the characteristics of these two sectors; then, they discuss current reforms in Quebec and the impact of various transitions (epidemiological, technological and organizational) that bring the sectors into greater convergence. The paper concludes with a discussion of obstacles and potential opportunities at two levels: (a) the development of population-based planning of services within healthcare organizations, and (b) the articulation of public health and healthcare services concerns at the local level. The ongoing reform in Quebec is a unique opportunity to maximize outcomes from the resources invested in the healthcare system, based on a collective vision for improving health.

BACKGROUND: The advanced access (AA) model has attracted much interest across Canada and worldwide as a means of ensuring timely access to health care. While nurses contribute significantly to improving access in primary healthcare, little is known about the practice changes involved in this innovative model. This study explores the experience of nurse practitioners and registered nurses with implementation of the AA model, and identifies factors that facilitate or impede change. METHODS: We used a longitudinal qualitative approach, nested within a multiple case study conducted in four university family medicine groups in Quebec that were early adopters of AA. We conducted semi-structured interviews with two types of purposively selected nurses: nurse practitioners (NPs) (n = 6) and registered nurses (RNs) (n = 5). Each nurse was interviewed twice over a 14-month period. One NP was replaced by another during the second interviews. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis based on two principles of AA and the Niezen & Mathijssen Network Model (2014). RESULTS: Over time, RNs were not able to review the appointment system according to the AA philosophy. Half of NPs managed to operate according to AA. Regarding collaborative practice, RNs were still struggling to participate in team-based care. NPs were providing independent and collaborative patient care in both consultative and joint practice, and were assuming leadership in managing patients with acute and chronic diseases. Thematic analysis revealed influential factors at the institutional, organizational, professional, individual and patient level, which acted mainly as facilitators for NPs and barriers for RNs. These factors were: 1) policy and legislation; 2) organizational policy support (leadership and strategies to support nurses' practice change); facility and employment arrangements (supply and availability of human resources); Inter-professional collegiality; 3) professional boundaries; 4) knowledge and capabilities; and 5) patient perceptions. ...

Abstract Background Over the past decade, in the province of Quebec, Canada, the government has initiated two consecutive reforms. These have created a new type of primary healthcare – family medicine groups (FMGs) – and have established 95 geographically defined local health networks (LHNs) across the province. A key goal of these reforms was to improve collaboration among healthcare organizations. The objective of the paper is to analyze the impact of these reforms on the development of collaborations among primary healthcare practices and between these organisations and hospitals both within and outside administrative boundaries of the local health networks. Methods We surveyed 297 primary healthcare practices in 23 LHNs in Quebec's two most populated regions (Montreal & Monteregie) in 2005 and 2010. We characterized collaborations by measuring primary healthcare practices' formal or informal arrangements among themselves or with hospitals for different activities. These collaborations were measured based on the percentage of clinics that identified at least one collaborative activity with another organization within or outside of their local health network. We created measures of collaboration for different types of primary healthcare practices: first- and second-generation FMGs, network clinics, local community services centres (CLSCs) and private medical clinics. We compared their situations in 2005 and in 2010 to observe their evolution. Results Our results showed different patterns of evolution in inter-organizational collaboration among different types of primary healthcare practices. The local health network reform appears to have had an impact on territorializing collaborations firstly by significantly reducing collaborations outside LHNs areas for all types of primary healthcare practices, including new type of primary healthcare and CLSCs, and secondly by improving collaborations among healthcare organizations within LHNs areas for all organizations. This is with the exception of private medical clinics, where collaborations decreased both outside and within LHNs. Conclusion Health system reforms aimed at creating geographically based networks influenced primary healthcare practices' both among themselves (horizontal collaborations) and with hospitals (vertical collaborations). There is evidence of increased collaborations within defined geographic areas, particularly among new type of primary healthcare.

Primary Health Care (PHC) teams are an important component of the health system – particularly in terms of integrating care for vulnerable patients living with complex health and social needs. Over the last two decades, PHC teams have been implemented in different forms across Canadian provinces and territories. This article explores the health care policies that shaped the form and functions of PHC team-based care in Québec over the past 20 years (2002-2022). In Québec, the main model of multidisciplinary PHC teams – Family Medicine Groups or Groupe de médecine de famille (GMFs) – were created in 2002. In 2004, structural reforms led to the creation of local health networks (LHNs). LHNs promoted coordinated and collaborative activities between health and social services providers such as GMFs located in the same geographic regions. This was followed by another structural reform of the health system in 2015, leading to the creation of broader territorial health networks with the aim to heighten coordination and collaboration among provider organizations. Various policies have strengthened the PHC team-based model. For instance, the introduction of nurse practitioners, pharmacists, and social workers with extended scopes of practice shaped the configuration of GMFs while enhancing inter-professional collaborative practices. This article highlights important insights that could advance the understanding and creation of future PHC policy initiatives. Les équipes de premières lignes sont une composante importante du système de santé – en particulier en ce qui concerne l'intégration des services pour les patients les plus vulnérables qui ont des besoins sanitaires complexes. Au cours des deux dernières décennies, des équipes de premières lignes ont été mises en œuvre sous différentes formes dans les provinces et les territoires du Canada. Cet article explore les politiques de santé qui ont façonné la forme et le fonctionnement des équipes de premières lignes au Québec au cours des 20 dernières années (2002-2022). Au Québec, le principal modèle de première ligne – les Groupes de médecine de famille (GMF) – a été créé en 2002. Les réformes structurelles de 2004 ont conduit à la création des réseaux locaux de services (RLS). Les RLS ont favorisé des activités coordonnées de collaborations entre les établissements publics, les organisations privées, dont les GMF, et les organisations communautaires localisées sur les mêmes territoires géographiques. Cette initiative a été suivie d'une autre réforme structurelle du système de santé en 2015, qui a conduit à la création de réseaux territoriaux de santé et de services sociaux dans le but d'accroître la coordination et la collaboration entre les établissements. Diverses politiques ont renforcé le modèle d'équipe de première ligne. Par exemple, l'introduction d'infirmières praticiennes spécialisées en première ligne, de pharmaciens et de travailleurs sociaux ayant des champs de pratique élargis a façonné l'évolution du modèle des GMF tout en améliorant les pratiques de collaboration interprofessionnelles. Cet article met en évidence des idées importantes qui pourraient améliorer la compréhension et la création de futures politiques de santé de première ligne.

CONTEXT: Significant reforms are needed to improve healthcare system performance in Quebec. Even though the characteristics of high-performing healthcare systems are well-known, Quebec's reforms have not succeeded in implementing many critical elements. Converging evidence from political science models suggests stakeholders' preferences are central in determining policy content, adoption, and implementation. OBJECTIVE: To analyze whether doctors', nurses', pharmacists' and health administrators' preferences could explain the observed inability to implement known characteristics of high-performing healthcare systems. DESIGN: A questionnaire on various propositions identified in the scientific literature was sent to 2,491 potential respondents. RESULTS: Overall response rate was 37%. There was considerable consensus on identified solutions to improve the healthcare system. Resistance was observed in two major areas: information systems and changes directly affecting doctors' practice. The groups' positions cannot explain the inability to implement important characteristics of high-performing systems. The findings raise new questions on the actual sources of resistance.

Abstract Background Expanding healthcare innovations from the local to national level is a complex pursuit requiring careful assessment of all relevant factors. In this study (a component of a larger eConsult programme of research), we aimed to identify the key factors involved in the spread and scale-up of a successful regional eConsult model across Canada. Methods We conducted a constant comparative thematic analysis of stakeholder discussions captured during a full-day National eConsult Forum meeting held in Ottawa, Canada, on 11 December 2017. Sixty-four participants attended, representing provincial and territorial governments, national organisations, healthcare providers, researchers and patients. Proceedings were recorded, transcribed and underwent qualitative analysis using the Framework for Applied Policy Research. Results This study identified four main themes that were critical to support the intentional efforts to spread and scale-up eConsult across Canada, namely (1) identifying population care needs and access problems, (2) engaging stakeholders who were willing to roll up their sleeves and take action, (3) building on current strategies and policies, and (4) measuring and communicating outcomes. Conclusions Efforts to promote innovation in healthcare are more likely to succeed if they are based on an understanding of the forces that drive the spread and scale-up of innovation. Further research is needed to develop and strengthen the conceptual and applied foundations of the spread and scale-up of healthcare innovations, especially in the context of emergent learning health systems across Canada and beyond.

BACKGROUND: Expanding healthcare innovations from the local to national level is a complex pursuit requiring careful assessment of all relevant factors. In this study (a component of a larger eConsult programme of research), we aimed to identify the key factors involved in the spread and scale-up of a successful regional eConsult model across Canada. METHODS: We conducted a constant comparative thematic analysis of stakeholder discussions captured during a full-day National eConsult Forum meeting held in Ottawa, Canada, on 11 December 2017. Sixty-four participants attended, representing provincial and territorial governments, national organisations, healthcare providers, researchers and patients. Proceedings were recorded, transcribed and underwent qualitative analysis using the Framework for Applied Policy Research. RESULTS: This study identified four main themes that were critical to support the intentional efforts to spread and scale-up eConsult across Canada, namely (1) identifying population care needs and access problems, (2) engaging stakeholders who were willing to roll up their sleeves and take action, (3) building on current strategies and policies, and (4) measuring and communicating outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Efforts to promote innovation in healthcare are more likely to succeed if they are based on an understanding of the forces that drive the spread and scale-up of innovation. Further research is needed to develop and strengthen the conceptual and applied foundations of the spread and scale-up of healthcare innovations, especially in the context of emergent learning health systems across Canada and beyond.

BackgroundExpanding healthcare innovations from the local to national level is a complex pursuit requiring careful assessment of all relevant factors. In this study (a component of a larger eConsult programme of research), we aimed to identify the key factors involved in the spread and scale-up of a successful regional eConsult model across Canada.MethodsWe conducted a constant comparative thematic analysis of stakeholder discussions captured during a full-day National eConsult Forum meeting held in Ottawa, Canada, on 11 December 2017. Sixty-four participants attended, representing provincial and territorial governments, national organisations, healthcare providers, researchers and patients. Proceedings were recorded, transcribed and underwent qualitative analysis using the Framework for Applied Policy Research.ResultsThis study identified four main themes that were critical to support the intentional efforts to spread and scale-up eConsult across Canada, namely (1) identifying population care needs and access problems, (2) engaging stakeholders who were willing to roll up their sleeves and take action, (3) building on current strategies and policies, and (4) measuring and communicating outcomes.ConclusionsEfforts to promote innovation in healthcare are more likely to succeed if they are based on an understanding of the forces that drive the spread and scale-up of innovation. Further research is needed to develop and strengthen the conceptual and applied foundations of the spread and scale-up of healthcare innovations, especially in the context of emergent learning health systems across Canada and beyond.