Why Primary Care, Why Now?
A high functioning primary care system is essential for population health. For most Ontarians, their primary care provider is their point of entry into the health care system, becoming their most frequent contact and acting as a gatekeeper to other services.
Primary care providers serve patients living in the community and typically continue to remain the main point of co-ordination and contact when they move to hospital, long term care, or hospice settings. In this way, the primary care provider provides longitudinal care, focusing on care planning in line with the values and needs of the person rather than considering the current disease in isolation. The ongoing relationship allows for early detection of disease, and interventions to change the course progress of disease and improve health outcomes.
A trusting relationship with one’s primary care provider is a great influence in patient understanding of illness and care, decision making on resource utilization and treatment follow up.
A strong primary care system is essential to ensuring the health of Ontarians. In fact, international evidence demonstrates that Health System performance is improved through policy emphasis on Quality Improvement, Information Technology and Primary Care.
When all Ontarians have timely access to the appropriate services, primary care can lower the costs of care and improve population health outcomes and inequities.
Now, after a period of rapid disruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there is an opportunity to capitalize on the collaborative momentum and appetite for change.