Objective: To describe a new approach to primary care reform developed in British Columbia (BC) under the leadership of the General Practice Services Committee (GPSC). COMPOSITION OF THE COMMITTEE: The GPSC is a joint committee of the BC Ministry of Health Services, the BC Medical Association, and the Society of General Practitioners of BC. Representatives of BC's health authorities also attend as guests.
Method: This paper is based on the 2008-2009 annual report of the GPSC. It summarizes the history and main activities of the GPSC.
Report: The GPSC is currently supporting a number of key activities to transform primary care in BC. These activities include the Full Service Family Practice Incentive Program, which provides incentive payments to promote enhanced primary care; the Practice Support Program, which provides family physicians and their medical office assistants with various practical evidence-based strategies and tools for managing practice enhancement; the Family Physicians for BC Program to develop family practices in areas of identified need; the Shared Care Committee, which supports and enables the determination of appropriate scopes of practice among GPs, specialists, and other health care professionals; the Divisions of Family Practice, which are designed to facilitate interactions among family doctors and between doctors and their respective health authorities; and the Community Healthcare and Resource Directory, a Web-based resource to help health care providers find appropriate mental health resources.
Conclusion: Early results indicate that the GPSC's initiatives are enhancing the delivery of primary care services in BC.
OBJECTIF: Décrire une nouvelle façon d’envisager la réforme des soins primaires instaurée en Colombie-Britannique (CB) sous la direction du General Practice Services Committee (GPSC).
COMPOSITION DU COMITÉ: Le GPSC est un comité conjoint qui réunit le BC Ministry of Health, la BC Medical Association et la Society of General Practitioners of BC. Des représentants des services de santé publique assistent aussi aux réunions.
MÉTHODE: Cet article est basé sur le rapport annuel de 2008–2009 du GPSC. Il résume l’histoire et les principales activités du GPSC.
LE RAPPORT: Le GPSC supporte présentement un certain nombre d’activités-clés visant à transformer les soins primaires en CB. Ces activités comprennent le Full Service Family Practice Incentive Program, qui propose aux MF et aux intervenants de leurs bureaux diverses stratégies pratiques fondées sur des données probantes et des outils pour améliorer leur pratique; le Family Physicians for BC Program, qui cherche à développer la médecine familiale dans des régions qui en ont besoin; le Share Care Committee, qui soutient et rend possible l’identification de champs de pratique appropriés pour les MF, les spécialistes et les autres professionnels de la santé; les Divisions of Family Practice, qui ont été créées pour faciliter l’interaction entre les MF ainsi qu’entre les médecins et les responsables des services de santé publique; et le Community Healthcare and Resource Directory, un site Web qui aide les intervenants de la santé à trouver les ressources appropriées en santé mentale.
CONCLUSION: Les premiers résultats suggèrent que les initiatives du GPSC améliorent la distribution des services de santé primaires en Colombie-Britannique.