Advancing knowledge to action

Dear Colleagues,

Every year, the CFPC President and Chief Executive Officer have the privilege of joining a board meeting with most provincial Chapters and of attending their annual scientific assemblies. This allows us to appreciate the issues faced by family doctors irrespective of geography, and to understand issues for which geography is important.

Provincial Chapters were introduced soon after the CFPC was created. As health care is planned and delivered provincially, it is important to understand provincial health care issues and influence them where appropriate, and to focus on solutions and being proactive. The CFPC and its Chapter leaders meet formally 3 times a year to discuss membership, practice issues, education, continuing professional development (CPD), and advocacy.

One area in which the Chapters have played an important role is engaging with other professionals and with governments on the vision and implementation of the Patient’s Medical Home (PMH) and in advocating for the adoption of the PMH concept provincially. The PMH vision was launched in 2011. We will take stock of lessons learned and further consult with Chapters to reshape this document. We are also convinced that it is essential, in our conversations with governments, to be and be seen to be in this together.

Other areas of common activity include engaging with academic departments of family medicine; accrediting CPD; creating strategic partnerships to develop high-quality, relevant CPD; and staying relevant and supporting innovation while navigating the often-turbulent context of practice and provincial funding negotiations.

Although all Chapters are active in these areas, I will highlight 2 important programs that transcended provincial borders: Practising Wisely and Tools for Practice (TFP).

Certain high-profile initiatives, such as Choosing Wisely Canada, encourage physicians to reconsider their behaviour and practice patterns with regard to testing, imaging, diagnosing, and prescribing. Practising Wisely was created by the Ontario College of Family Physicians (OCFP). It was certified as a 3-credit-per-hour program and endorsed by the Future of Medical Education in Canada—Continuing Professional Development project.

Practising Wisely builds on the highly successful OCFP program, Don’t Just Do Something, Stand There! The original program was first certified in 2011. Developed by family doctors for family doctors, it aims to support family physicians and other providers in implementing practice changes aligned with current evidence, with a focus on reducing frequent interventions for which there is no evidence of effectiveness. A national collaboration is under way, with coordination among the Chapters, including a partnership with the Quebec Chapter to translate the program materials. The program is offered across Canada through a national planning committee.

Practising Wisely was recertified in September and, since then, the OCFP has delivered the program to 127 physicians across Canada and is training 19 physicians from Ontario, Alberta, Quebec, Newfoundland, and British Columbia as facilitators.

Tools for Practice, managed by the Alberta College of Family Physicians (ACFP), was created by Dr Mike Allan and the Evidence Based Medicine Working Group at the University of Alberta in Edmonton. E-mailed every 2 weeks free of charge to subscribers, TFP summarizes best evidence with a focus on current topics and effective practice (www.toolsforpractice.ca). Selected articles are also published in Canadian Family Physician. Most of the 30 000 subscribers are in Canada, and they include Chapter members from more than 7 provinces. In 2014, the ACFP developed an online Self-Learning tool, GoMainpro (www.gomainpro.ca). Nearly 800 subscribers obtain certified Self-Learning credits through this tool and the TFP library. Both programs are available in both official languages. More than 12 000 reflective activities completed by GoMainpro users affirm the relevance (98%), new learning (73%), and effect of the activities on practice (57%).

Practising Wisely and TFP were developed by the OCFP and the ACFP, respectively, in partnership with their Chapter clinical leaders. These 2 Chapters each made a substantial investment in the development of these programs. We are exploring how best to increase their uptake and to make them available across Canada.

The CFPC and its 10 provincial Chapters^* wish you all the very best for 2017. Throughout the year, I will highlight Chapter initiatives that align with themes covered in this column as we continue to be stronger together.

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