On Saturday, June 1, 2013, the Alberta Medical Association (AMA) held the second in a series of summits, a chance for physicians and patients to discuss major issues in primary health care.

Seventy-five physicians and 23 patients came together to generously provide their input.

We've prepared a report on what both patients and physicians said during the course of that day:
Download a pdf of the full report, Alberta Medical Association Primary Health Care Summit 2: What We Heard >>

You can also read the report online by linking to the report sections below:

• Introduction >> 
• Setting the scene >> 
• Session 1: Primary health care – the current state >> 
• Session 2: Formal Attachment >>
• Session 3: AMA Benchmarking study >> 
• Discussion 4: Community engagement >> 
• Conclusion >>

A PCN is not a building, a program or a clinic. A PCN is also not a multi-disciplinary team.

A PCN is a structure that allows family physicians (in partnership with Alberta Health Services [AHS] and other health providers) to harness the collective strengths of the members of a team who work together to:

• Improve integration of care.
• Encourage innovation.
• Increase capacity and access.

Although PCNs are increasingly contributing to improvement across the entire system, the impact of any one network is uniquely local. Primary care networks are diverse, each tailor-made to address the greatest needs in primary care in a specific community.

How to plan a PCN

When planning a PCN, take into account the:

• Geographic setting.
• Patient demographics.
• Physician supply.
• Local health indicators.
• Strengths and gaps in AHS programs.
• General accessibility of comprehensive primary care.

The possibilities for innovation are immense.

A Primary Care Network (PCN) improves the delivery of primary health care services through:

• Integration: Doctors and other health care professionals work with Alberta Health Services (AHS) to deliver specific primary care services.
• Capacity: PCNs increase the use of existing resources and facilities.
• Access: PCNs increase access to the health care system.
• Innovation: PCNs find better ways to provide health care for their patients.

Here are only a few of the local solutions that various PCNs have delivered:

• Organizing the community’s physician clinics to ensure after-hours or weekend access to a primary care physician, thus reducing emergency department visits for issues that are more appropriately managed in a primary care office.
• Hiring mental health navigators to act as the bridge between the family physician’s office and the complex mental health system, linking patients to appropriate care and socio-economic supports to ensure they don’t “fall between the cracks.”
• Integrating licensed practical nurses (LPNs) and registered nurses (RNs) directly into physician clinics to provide health-promotion education to patients and perform other delegated tasks in a primary care setting.

Meanwhile, physicians can reduce their wait times for appointments and take on unattached patients (i.e., patients who do not have a family physician).

• Keeping the frail elderly healthy in an independent lifestyle as long as possible through regular case conferencing for a roster of supportive-living residents.
  • The team may include the primary care physician, facility-care staff, pharmacists, occupational therapists or home-care nurses.
  • These professionals proactively address health issues, preventing illness and injury and avoiding the need for acute care, hospitalization or long-term care facilities.
• Providing prenatal care and deliveries on a rotating on-call schedule in an area lacking low-risk obstetrical services, incorporating nurses, dieticians, lactation consultants and other health professionals to provide education and prenatal and postnatal care.

Primary Care Networks are the connective tissue that is allowing better integration and coordination of family physician services with new or existing health resources, resulting in more efficient, patient-focused care.