Primary Healthcare and CHSRF
Primary healthcare (PHC) in Canada has evolved slowly since the mid-1960s, when community health centres started to emerge. From 2000 to 2006 there was significant investment to improve PHC through the Primary Health Care Transition Fund, established by the Government of Canada in response to a First Ministers agreement made on September 11, 2000.
However, according to A Survey of Primary Care Physicians in 11 Countries, 2009: Perspectives on Care, Costs, and Experiences (released November 2009), Canada lags numerous countries on many indicators of primary healthcare processes and outcomes. CHSRF is committed to supporting pan-Canadian efforts to address this gap through evidence-informed policy dialogues, which are intended to identify policy options and opportunities for implementing primary healthcare improvement.
CHSRF is the lead agency of the Canadian Working Group for Primary Healthcare Improvement, which has been formed to advance national dialogue on the use of evidence to improve primary healthcare. The working group, established in April 2008, represents healthcare leaders from across Canada who are committed to collaborating in order to improve the processes and outcomes of primary healthcare. It grew out of a meeting of leaders in primary healthcare (researchers, practitioners, funders and policy makers) convened by CHSRF.
To help guide its activities, the working group and CHSRF commissioned three papers that establish the baseline for primary healthcare improvement. They outline the opportunities for enhancing Canada’s primary healthcare sector, as well as the benefits of doing so.
In addition, CHSRF is hosting Picking Up the Pace on Nov. 1–2, 2010, a conference that highlights how to implement change in primary healthcare. Members of the primary healthcare working group are involved in choosing regional healthcare improvements that will serve as discussion centrepieces for this event.
CHSRF contact for primary healthcare:
Kevin Barclay
Senior Policy Advisor, Policy Group
Tel. (613) 728-2238 ext. 250
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