July 30, 2008 The old adage that there’s no ‘I’ in ‘team’ is a philosophy the Edmonton Southside Primary Care Network (PCN) takes seriously.
Using a multidisciplinary health team strategy, the PCN is delivering services in 14 family physician clinics in southside Edmonton.
The team, which consists of registered nurses, social workers, dietitians, a pharmacist and an occupational therapist, work with family physicians to provide enhanced and efficient patient care.
“The patient-physician relationship remains central to family practice, but adding a complementary group of health professionals promotes disease prevention and disease management,” says Doug Craig, General Manager for Edmonton Southside PCN.
“It’s a model that makes sense,” says Craig. Patients’ first contact with health services is through their family physicians. By using a multidisciplinary health team approach, most patients will receive the care they need, and won’t require further intervention. However, for patients with more complex problems or regular routine follow-up needs, the team supplements the services already provided by the physician.
Sheri Fielding, Edmonton Southside PCN Nurse Leader, says this model of care giving allows registered nurses to use their full scope of skills.
“Because we’re supporting the family practice, we see everything across the lifespan (from birth to death),” Fielding says. “We don’t focus on one condition, but what the patient needs help with at that time.”
And the approach to providing that wide range of complex care is flexible.
“The whole team is working together to provide the best care possible,” she says. “It’s based on what the patient needs and who can best provide it.”
The PCN does have two specialized teams, which focus on geriatric care and mental health. In both cases, these specialized programs operate as an extension of the family practice and the physician is fully informed. The programs also work closely with Capital Health programs to bridge, not duplicate, services from primary care to more specialized support.
Edmonton Southside was the first PCN to form in May 2005. Fourteen clinics and 66 physicians are participating in the PCN, which also includes 19 nurses, 5 social workers, 2 dietitians, and a pharmacist.