feature
“This is not an issue where the answer lies in finding a way to make
physicians work harder or work longer hours,” Dr. Kirsh added. “That
is absolutely not on the table for discussion. But we do need to talk
about how to better organize the work we do.”
... continued from page 10
people, all with the aim of examining the
many sides of a very complicated issue with
all our stakeholders.
Just some of the anticipated issues that
will be explored as a part of this process
include: walk-in clinic responsibilities, after
hours and vacation coverage, managing test
results, the use of technology, managing
medical records and information, appointment procedures, and physician health.
Ultimately, “continuity of care” can mean
many things to many people, and we will
be asking you not only how you define it,
but what problems you see with the existing
system, how we can overcome it, and what
role you see the College playing.
Dr. Joel Kirsh, College President, acknowledged that continuity of care is a
long-standing and complicated issue, one
with no easy answers. “And for that reason,
we very much need to hear from members
of the profession about their insights and
thoughts,” he said.
“This is not an issue where the answer
lies in finding a way to make physicians
work harder or work longer hours,” Dr.
Kirsh added. “That is absolutely not on the
table for discussion. But we do need to talk
about how to better organize the work we
do. How can we work in a smarter, more
coordinated fashion so that our patients
don’t fall through the cracks?”
Dr. Kirsh also noted that many continuity of care issues are ‘systems’ issues and
outside the jurisdiction of the College or
beyond the control of our members and
the College’s ability to fix through policy
(e.g., practice models, fee structures, health
human resources, development of province wide electronic health record, etc.).
Particular care, he said, will be taken to
identify those issues that can and should be
addressed through policy and those that are
beyond our control.
“There are a number of issues that we
will need to wrap our minds around,” said
Dr. Kirsh. “But throughout the process, we
will ensure the patient experience, patient
safety, and the public interest remain paramount.”
MD
Tell us what you think!
How can we improve continuity of care for patients?
Visit www.cpso.on.ca under Consultations to provide feedback.
12
Dialogue Issue 2, 2016
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2016-06-16 12:26 PM