Factors Impacting Primary Care Engagement in a New Approach to Integrating Care in Ontario, Canada.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

In 2019, Ontario's Ministry of Health (the Ministry) introduced Ontario Health Teams (OHTs) to provide population-based integrated healthcare. Primary care was foundational to this approach. We sought to identify factors that impacted primary care engagement during OHT formation from different perspectives.

Methods

Interviews with 111 participants (administrators n = 80; primary care providers n = 17; patient family advisors = 14) from 11 OHTs were conducted following a semi-structured guide. Interviews were transcribed, coded, and thematically analyzed.

Results

Participants felt that primary care engagement was an ongoing, continuous cycle. Four themes were identified: 1) 'A low rules environment': limited direction from the Ministry (system-level), 2) '

SUBMITTER: Everall AC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8896242 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jan-Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature