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.

The closing keynote at the 2020 Black Experiences in Health Care Symposium from Angela Robertson, Executive Director of the Parkdale Queen West Community Health Centre, offered an insightful overview of the structural challenges and systemic barriers Black people in Ontario face when accessing care and navigating social systems.

Creating an integrated health care system requires connection points at every level of the organizations that deliver client and patient care. Enhancing how we work together as a unified team is a key first step. For frontline staff, this means familiarity with staff working in other organizations, including community services, housing, harm reduction, hospital, primary care, and other sectors.

A summary of Camille Orridge’s keynote speech at the 2020 Black Experiences in Health Care Symposium, calling for accountability, data, and leadership for a more equitable health system in Ontario.

Want to get a better understanding of the health of the population you are serving? In this blog, we’re sharing some of our favourite resources to help you get started on population health assessment.  

Rebels get a bad rap at times, but they are the trail blazers that take the first steps to flipping the orthodoxy on its head. They transform art, the political landscape, our cultural norms, how we live, and how we work. As civil servants, we have the power to take on the big challenges we face as a society and start doing things differently.

OHTs will eventually be responsible for providing a full spectrum of health care services for their entire attributed populations, but they have also been asked to specify which population(s) they will focus on in Year 1 of OHT implementation. Learn more about the selected populations and how to start addressing their unique needs.

In November 2019, Health Commons Solutions Lab was invited to lead a workshop at the Transforming Care Conference, SickKids Hospital’s annual innovation event. This was an opportunity to share some of the key learnings we’ve developed with the Neighbours initiative, including the power of building trust for better health outcomes and care. Here we explore how deep listening is essential to establish trust.

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?’

The term “population health” has become quite the buzzword in Ontario and I’ve seen many definitions floating around – but it doesn’t need to be so complicated. Population health is just that: the health of the population.