PFSP now recruiting family physicians willing to take colleagues as patients
Physicians for Physicians (P4P)
What is the PFSP’s Physicians for Physicians (P4P) service?
Established by PFSP, P4P is a confidential network of family physicians who are willing to take colleagues, if possible, as patients in their practices.
The PFSP will help to connect physicians who call the 1-877-767-4637 Assistance Line to a family physician who has agreed to participate in the P4P program.
More than ever, physicians need the care and support of a family doctor, but many are without primary care for themselves or their family members. All physicians can benefit from having a personal family physician to maintain optimal health and thus enable them to better care for their patients.
Sign up now!
The P4P service is used by physicians of all career stages, and its success relies on family physicians signing up to be providers in this network.
If you are a family physician willing to be a provider, please complete our sign-up form.
General FAQs
How many requests for family physicians does the PFSP receive in a year?
Each year, through the 1-877-767-4637 Assistance Line, the PFSP receives over 300 requests from physician callers and their immediate family members to help make a connection to family physicians.
Many of those calling the line are medical students or residents who are new to Alberta, as well as physicians whose previous family physician has retired or moved.
How does the PFSP manage the connection process?
The PFSP facilitates the connection between an individual in need of a family physician and one of the family physicians who has signed up to be a provider through the P4P service.
The PFSP considers several factors when making this connection including location and gender requests and works to distribute referrals equitably amongst the P4P providers.
While the PFSP does its best to match the needs of an individual, there are no guarantees provided. Requests for family physicians with special areas of interest or those that serve specific client populations are not always possible to match.
FAQs – For the P4P provider
I am interested in signing up to be a family physician provider as a part of the P4P service. How often will my name be provided to callers?
The PFSP attempts to make connections equitably so as not to overwhelm any one provider. In the larger urban centers of Calgary and Edmonton, on average you can expect to receive one-to-three requests per month. If you are a physician in a rural setting the referrals are typically less frequent.
Are there guidelines or expectations I am expected to follow?
P4P providers maintain autonomy in upholding their practice guidelines when considering new patients. The PFSP informs individuals that they are being provided the name of a physician who is willing to take physician colleagues as patients, but that this does not impact or influence priority access or timeliness to appointments nor any other special treatment.
I am willing to take physician colleagues into my practice as a part of the P4P service but am unable to accept immediate family members. Am I still able to volunteer to be a P4P provider?
Yes, all decisions related to accepting a new patient, including acceptance of family members as patients, is left to the discretion of the provider. Additionally, you can include specific criteria you have during the sign-up process which will help us match you to callers most appropriately.
What if I am unable to accept referrals from the PFSP after I have signed up?
You can manage your participation as a P4P provider by accessing the P4P link on your personal AMA dashboard and change your status from “Active” to “On Hold”. The PFSP will not connect clients to you until you change your status back to “Active”. For more information, please email: pfsp@albertadoctors.org
How do I update my contact information as a P4P provider?
Does the PFSP provide any support or resources for P4P providers?
At this time, the PFSP offers the following resources:
If any of the providers on the P4P list have a helpful resource or a suggestion about how the PFSP could further support P4P providers, please email pfsp@albertadoctors.org.
Is the P4P service only for family physician connections?
Yes. The PFSP believes that all physicians benefit from having a family physician and a Medical Home to maintain optimal health and thus enable them to better care for their patients. Once connected to a family physician, further referrals to other specialists can be made and coordinated through the family physician.
FAQs – For those seeking a family physician
Are there any expectations of me if I receive a family physician connection through the PFSP?
Yes. The PFSP will ask you to contact the clinic yourself to make an appointment and to notify the clinic that you have been connected with this physician by the PFSP, this is essential information for the front office staff. It is important to note that a connection made by the PFSP does not imply expedited access to the clinic or that you can bypass the clinic’s processes.
While the PFSP does its best to match the needs of an individual, there are no guarantees provided. Requests for family physicians with special areas of interest or those that serve specific client populations are not always possible to match.
I have been connected to a family physician through the PFSP but it wasn’t a good fit for me. What can I do?
Please contact the 1-877-767-4637 Assistance Line and request a new family physician connection.
Can I request the P4P list of physician providers from the PFSP and find my own family physician?
No. The PFSP does not share this information. Connections to family physicians must be made through the 1-877-767-4637 Assistance Line.
Contact us
For more information, please contact us by email: PFSP@albertadoctors.org.
