Canada

Examining the Teaching Roles and Experiences of Non-Physician Health Care Providers in Family Medicine Education: A Qualitative Study

Primary Care reform in Canada and globally has encouraged the development of interprofessional
primary care initiatives. This has led to significant involvement of non-physician Health Care Providers (NPHCPs) in the teaching of medical trainees. The objective of this study was to understand the experiences, supports and challenges facing non-physician health care providers in Family Medicine education. [from abstract]

Economic Evaluation of Complex Health System Interventions

The discussion paper provides guidance to those tasked with conducting an economic evaluation of complex health system interventions. The guidance will be an elaboration of existing National guidelines for economic evaluation and serve as a discussion paper to aid investigators conducting economic evaluations of complex health interventions. This paper is intended to be a starting point for heatlh system and policy researchers who wish to understand some of the fundamentals of economic evaluation and its application complex interventions. [from abstract]

Perceived Barriers to Accessing Specialized Medical Care in Rural Communities of Ontario: A Pilot Study

Rural residents seeking health care face barriers due to a shortage of healthcare professionals and the travel distance required to obtain medical services. A pilot study was conducted to examine rural residents’ ability to access specialized care. This quantitative pen and paper survey was implemented in two communities with similar health care infrastructure(Tweed, Ontario and Hensall, Ontario). [adapted from abstract]

Community Health Nurses’ Learning Needs in Relation to the Canadian Community Health Nursing Standards of Practice: Results From a Canadian Survey

This paper examines Canadian CHNs learning needs in relation to the 2008 Canadian Community Health Nursing Standards of Practice (CCHN Standards). It answers: What are the learning needs of CHNs in Canada in relation to the CCHN Standards? What are differences in CHNs’ learning needs by: province and territory in Canada, work setting (home health, public health and other community health settings) and years of nursing practice? [from abstract]

Interprofessional Collaborative Teams

This paper aims to explore and explain the use of models of care delivery that optimally utilize the role of nurses in primary healthcare, community-based care and other non-acute care contexts such as chronic disease management, long-term care, continuing care, health promotion and disease prevention. Additionally, exemplar models of care, as case studies, are identified to highlight essential elements of effective service delivery models and strategies for successful application. [from introduction]

Teamwork in Healthcare: Promoting Effective Teamwork in Healthcare in Canada. Policy Synthesis and Recommendations

To prepare this report, an interprofessional research team conducted in-depth interviews with key informants and
undertook a wide-ranging survey of peer-reviewed and grey literature on the components of teamwork; effectiveness of teams; types of interventions; healthcare team dynamics; and the impact of government infrastructure, legislation,
and policy on teamwork in the Canadian healthcare system. [from summary]

Impact and Sustainability of an Accredited Paediatric Nursing Training Programme in Ghana

In this qualitative descriptive study, we explored the perceived impact and sustainability of the first accredited
Paediatric Nursing Training Programme (PNTP) in Ghana, established in 2010 by a north-south Ghanaian-Canadian
partnership to address child health care access and quality issues in the country. [from abstract]

Health Navigation: A Review of the Evidence

Health navigation is an approach to improving healthcare delivery that helps individuals access the care they need.People called navigators work with each client to identify and reduce any barriers they may face that make it difficult for them to get quality, timely care. Services are tailored to each individual and may include appointment scheduling, transportation, accompaniment, referrals, health education, and counselling. [from introduction]

The Ottawa Hospital and Ottawa Inner City Health: The Population Health Approach in Action

What does the population health approach in action look like in the health care context? This study looks at applying a population health approach in a health care setting. The study articulates the merits of applying a population health approach and brings to light associated barriers and opportunities. It also features patient- and program-level perspectives and population health insights from senior health care leaders at The Ottawa Hospital who were instrumental in establishing OICH.[from introduction]

Exploring Accountable Care in Canada: Integrating Financial and Quality Incentives for Physicians and Hospitals

[Accountable Care Organ] ACOs are promising vehicles for aligning physician and hospital interests in improving quality and reducing cost. However, successful implementation and realization of the ACO mission requires that attention be paid to supporting capacity building within the ACOs, development of a culture of learning and improvement, as well as rigorous monitoring and evaluation. [from executive summary]

Empirical impact evaluation of the WHO Global Code of Practice on the International Recruitment of Health Personnel in Australia, Canada, UK and USA.

The active recruitment of health workers from developing countries to developed countries has become a major threat to global health. In an effort to manage this migration, the 63rd World Health Assembly adopted the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Code of Practice on the International Recruitment of Health Personnel in May 2010. While the Code has been lauded as the first globally-applicable regulatory framework for health worker recruitment, its impact has yet to be evaluated.

The Future of Medical Education in Canada

Part of the vision is for all physicians, by the end of their training, to possess the clinical expertise necessary to practice medicine based on the principles of quality, safety,professionalism, and patient-centred and team-based care. [adapted from summary]

The Last Word: Collaborating for Healthcare Improvement

Reflecting on service delivery in northern, rural or remote Canada, Dr. Roger Strasser (Dean of the Northern Ontario School of Medicine) and Erin Leith (Director, Collaboration for Innovation and Improvement, Canadian Foundation of Healthcare Improvement) discuss the significant momentum generated by the Canadian Recruit and Retain Conference and the influence and impact this will have on healthcare in these often under-served regions. [from introduction]

Program Evaluation of a Model to Integrate Internationally Educated Health Professionals into Clinical Practice

This study evaluates a program comprised of the educational tools and infrastructure to support internationally educated physiotherapists in their preparation for entry to practice in Canada and to improve their pass rate on the national competency examination. [adapted from abstract]

Influence of Organizational Context on the Use of Research by Nurses in Canadian Pediatric Hospitals

The objective of this study was to identify dimensions of organizational context and individual nurse characteristics that influence pediatric nurses’ self-reported use of research. [from abstract]

Factors Influencing Pharmacists' Adoption of Prescribing: Qualitative Application of the Diffusion of Innovations Theory

The objective of this study was to understand what factors influence pharmacists’ adoption of prescribing using a model for the diffusion of innovations in healthcare services in Alberta, the first Canadian jurisdiction to grant pharmacists a wide range of prescribing privileges. [adapted from abstract]

Demonstration Study Comparing Role-Emergent Versus Role-Established Pharmacy Clinical Placement Experiences in Long-Term Care Facilities

This study was undertaken to explore the viability of supervising pharmacy students remotely – a model referred to in the literature as role-emergent placements as a possible model to fill the gap in on-site pharmacy preceptors at role-established sites. This paper discusses pharmacy preceptors and long-term care facility non-pharmacist staff experiences with this model. [adapted from abstract]

Evolving Role of Health Care Aides in the Long-Term Care and Home and Community Care Sectors in Canada

This study attempts to gather information on health care aides, a cadre that constitutes a significant component of the health care labor force providing home and community care in Canada, to fill gaps in basic information about this component of the workforce including motivations, retention, and adequacy of their training. [adapted from author]

Does Implementation of a Hospitalist Program in a Canadian Community Hospital Improve Measures of Quality of Care and Utilization? An Observational Comparative Analysis of Hospitalists vs. Traditional Care Providers

The objective of this study is to compare measures of cost and quality of care (in-hospital mortality, 30-day same-facility readmission, and length of stay) of hospitalists vs. traditional physician providers in a large Canadian community hospital setting. [from abstract]

Moving to Action: Evidence-Based Retention and Recruitment Policy Initatives for Nursing

This study was a program of research designed to develop a comprehensive understanding of Canadian nurse migration and mobility. The program was comprised of three interrelated studies aimed to determine the reasons why Canadian nurses migrate to the US for work, the drivers of nurse mobility across the provinces/territories in Canada, and the challenges that they have experienced with seeking employment in Canada that could be addressed through changes to policy. [adapted from summary]

Engaging Primary Care Practitioners in Quality Improvement: Making Explicit the Program Theory of an Interprofessional Education Intervention

This paper describes the theory underlying an interprofessional educational intervention developed in Canada for the purpose of improving chronic disease management in primary care in order to explain explicitly the theory underlying this intervention, to describe its components in detail and to assess the intervention’s feasibility and acceptability. [adapted from abstract]

Case Study of Nurse Practitioner Role Implementation in Primary Care: What Happens When New Roles Are Introduced

The purpose of the study was to explain the process implementing a new cadre of nurse practitioners role in British Columbia as it was occurring and to identify factors that could enhance the implementation process. An explanatory, single case study with embedded units of analysis was used. [adapted from abstract]

Supporting Work Practices through Telehealth: Impact on Nurses in Peripheral Regions

This research aimed to better understand how work practice reorganization, supported by ICTs, and particularly by telehealth, may influence professional, educational, and organizational factors relating to Quebec nurses, notably those working in peripheral regions. [from abstract]

Factors Influencing Rural and Urban Emergency Clinicians' Participation in an Online Knowledge Exchange Intervention

This study explored factors influencing rural and urban emergency department clinicians’ participation in a web-based knowledge exchange intervention that focused on best practice knowledge about pediatric emergency care. [from abstract]

Regulated Nurses: Canadian Trends, 2007 to 2011

This report highlights trends across Canada, across regulated nursing professions and across a variety of demographic, education, mobility and employment characteristics to inform health human resource planning in Canada. [from summary]

Improving Primary Care in British Columbia, Canada: Evaluation of a Peer-to-Peer Continuing Education Program for Family Physicians

This study evaluated participant satisfaction of an interactive educational program that offers peer-to-peer training to physicians and their office staff on topics ranging from clinical tools/skills to office management relevant to general practitioner practices. [adapted from abstract]

Where There is No Paramedic: The Sachigo Lake Wilderness Emergency Response Education Initiative

This paper reports on a collaboration to develop, deliver, and study a community-based first response training program in a remote indigenous community. [from author]

Pharmacist Educators in Family Medicine Residency Programs: A Qualitative Analysis

The purpose of this study was to examine the experiences of residents, residency directors and pharmacists within Canadian family medicine residency programs that employ a pharmacist educator to better understand the impact of the role. [from abstract]

Development of an Interactive Model for Planning the Care Workforce for Alberta: Case Study

This case study describes the development of a forecasting tool to inform its position on key workforce parameters, focused on modeling the situation for registered nurses, licensed practical nurses and health care aides in Alberta. [adapted from abstract]

Taxonomy of Nursing Care Organization Models in Hospitals

This article presents a taxonomy of new operational models of nursing care delivery that maximize the use of available nursing resources while ensuring safe, high-quality care - using the context of acute care units in Quebec and comparing their distinctive features. [adapted from abstract]