Purpose
Engage with community-based specialists without hospital or health authority privileges to understand their needs in order to determine how to better support them.
Sizing it Up
At the Specialists Symposium in 2019, SSC collected feedback on how it can better support all specialists in their work, and support to community-based specialists without affiliation with hospitals and health authorities was identified as a need. This resulted in the SSC identifying support to these specialists as one its priorities moving forward.
Additionally, early in 2020 the Doctors of BC board, with endorsement by the Representative Assembly, acknowledged the unique concerns of community-based specialists. SSC is working to ensure support to these specialist groups are in place.
Things to Know
We are in the early stages of research on this strategic priority and are working to understand the unique issues facing community-based specialists, and how we can better engage and support this key group of physicians, and whether this support can be provided through existing initiatives and collaboratives.
A first step in this process will be a province-wide survey of the community-based specialists in the fall of 2020. Information gleaned from this survey will help inform the next steps.
Access Support
Spoken Language Interpreting ServicesFunded by the SSC, Community Based Specialists now have access to, on-demand services in about 240 languages via telephone, 24 hours/7 days a week. |
UpToDateNo-cost access to UpToDate, a subscription-based online clinical decision support resource. |
Zoom HealthcareCommunity specialists have their Zoom licenses automatically renewed free-of-charge for the purposes of providing virtual care up until August 21, 2022. |
CareConnectGain access to encounters, provincial and community lab results, diagnostic imaging, clinical documents from both non health authority and health authority sources, and provincial immunization records for patients within BC. |
Business PathwaysBusiness Pathways is a Doctors of BC initiative that helps physicians navigate the operational side of running a practice. It is a customizable, one-stop shop to access support based on your current needs. |
Health PPE Portal UpdateThe Ministry of Health’s Health PPE Portal provides personal protective equipment (PPE) and critical supplies to family doctors and specialists in BC community clinics. |
Focus Group Report
To better understand the unique needs of community-based specialists without hospital privileges, SSC heard from about 30 community-based specialists representing 12 specialties from across the province. As part of five focus groups, these community-based specialists reflected on potential gaps and opportunities within SSC’s mandate and scope of work and identified concrete and actionable priorities for SSC. Read more in the focus group report.
Impact
Opening the lines of communications (2021)
Contact
Donna Murphy-Burke, Portfolio Liaison;dmurphyburke@doctorsofbc.ca
