The Ministry of Health is using a methodology developed by Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES) Scientists Dr. Therese Stukel and Dr. Rick Glazier, called Physician Networks (PhysNets) to attribute patients in Ontario to Ontario Health Teams (OHTs) based on natural utilization and referral patterns between primary and acute care. Until now, very few sociodemographic indicators have been reported on OHT attributed populations. Researchers at the MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions who lead the Ontario Community Health Profiles Partnership (OCHPP) have recently posted data looking at the income distribution among patients attributed to each PhysNet.

You may have heard the terms ‘physician network’ and ‘patient attribution’ being discussed by the Ministry of Health in the context of assigning patients to Ontario Health Teams (OHTs). You may be asking yourself, ‘what is that?’ and ‘what does it mean for me and my OHT?’