As part of our program consultation process, we’ve talked with close to 200 family physicians over the past year.
Through a combination of group sessions and interviews, you gave us your ideas and priorities for FPNs in NL.
You told us you are challenged in meeting increased demand for patient care services, both in relation to patient volume as well of complexity of care. You talked specifically about:
Supporting patients with mental health issues and chronic diseases
Care of older adults, especially the frail elderly
The worsening problem of chronic opioid use
Meeting patient access needs
Lack of supports for team-based approaches to care
Managing administrative responsibilities/workload
Lack of communication with your Regional Health Authorities (RHAs)
Lack of consultation with family physicians in decisions that affect community family practice
You see FPNs as providing opportunities for:
Improved working relationships amongst family physicians, and between family physicians and other providers
Team-based approaches to care & sharing of resources
Cross-referral to other family physicians with different skill sets
Improving physician recruitment and retention, as well as locum coverage
Access to, and knowledge of, community resources
Better communication and collaboration with the Regional Health Authorities
A collective voice in decisions involving community family practice
