PRACTICE PARTNER
the MMAP network and the Clinical Lead of the
CMN.
Currently, MMAP has 32 mentors and 336 mentees
in communities across Ontario, including urban, rural
and remote settings. Many of the mentees also choose
to become mentors. With additional government fund-
ing, MMAP is looking to bring in more mentees and
mentors over the next 18 months.
Mentees can use the mentorship services at no cost
whenever they need to, at their convenience and earn
continuing professional development credits in the pro-
cess. It is entirely up to the mentees as to how long they
want to stay in the networks, in fact, there are many
mentees who have been enrolled in the program since it
launched almost 12 years ago.
Centre for Effective Practice
Academic Detailing for primary care and the Knowledge
Translation in Primary Care Initiative are two projects
led by the Centre for Effective Practice (CEP) to help
primary care providers deliver high-quality care to their
patients. The Knowledge Translation in Primary Care
Initiative focuses on the development of evidence-based
clinical tools for primary care providers, some of which
have been downloaded by more than half of Ontario’s
primary care providers. The academic detailing service
is a natural extension to implement these clinical tools.
Academic Detailing
In effect since March 2018, CEP’s primary care aca-
demic detailing service is unique from other forms of
educational outreach or continuing professional devel-
opment with its emphasis on an interactive discussion
style that focuses on the specific needs and questions of
the participating family physician. Academic detailing
service visits are scheduled at a time and place conve-
nient to the physician (e.g. usually in their clinic office).
The CEP’s academic detailers are all clinical pharma-
cists with strong foundational experience in pharma-
cotherapy and clinical evidence appraisal. The detailers
undergo comprehensive training in clinical evidence
relevant to the topics they deliver as well as skills de-
velopment to assess and understand physicians’ clinical
needs and practice barriers.
Because the service has, to date, focused on topics
with a strong pharmacology component, pharma-
cists were identified as the best equipped to deliver this
knowledge to family physicians, many of whom do not
have regular access to a pharmacist.
During each visit, academic detailers concentrate on
understanding the physician’s specific needs and tailor-
ing the information accordingly. The information cov-
ered during a visit can include talking tips for leading
challenging conversations with patients regarding their
management options and treatment expectations, ap-
proaches to initiating, monitoring and tapering medica-
tions, putting in place safeguards and harm reduction
strategies for patients on medications, or navigating
local resources for patients that are geographically and
financially accessible. Academic detailers also equip par-
ticipating family physicians with relevant clinical tools
developed by the CEP.
There are currently 18 academic detailers who have
provided visits to more than 590 family physicians
across eight LHINs including Erie St. Clair, South
West, Waterloo Wellington, Hamilton Niagara Hal-
dimand Brant, Mississauga Halton, Toronto Central,
North West and North East LHINs. CEP is also seeing
referrals into the service, from participating physicians
to their colleagues, and information sharing within
practices, which is a positive effect as a result of the
program.
The service is free for family physicians. Interested
family physicians can learn more and sign up for a visit
at: cep.health/academic-detailing.
Knowledge Translation in Primary Care
Initiative
In addition to creating an academic detailing network,
the CEP continues to provide clinical tools and health
information resources for physicians through its work
with the Knowledge Translation in Primary Care Initia-
tive, which is a collaboration with the Ontario College
of Family Physicians (OCFP) and the Nurse Practitio-
ners’ Association of Ontario (NPAO).
From updating the CORE Back Tool to introducing
the Management of Chronic Non-Cancer Pain Tool
and integrating it into EMRs, the CEP’s work helps
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