Facilitating Team Based Practice

Our work in the primary care sector has shown that the main challenge facing FHTs and FHOs is the inability to develop a genuine, collaborative team practice between medical professionals.

We have developed a program to help FHOs and FHTs work through disagreements and transfer successfully to the new models. We work first with the family physicians to facilitate a comprehensive understanding of the FHO payment model and how it supports the delegation of care. Most physicians are not aware of how the Fee for Service payment model has influenced how they deliver medical services and remain fearful that delegating care will result in a loss of control and income. By learning how to best use the FHO payment model and the FHT care structure, physicians will most likely see an increase in control as well as greater income. From there, our program includes team meeting and/or workshops to support the development of collaborative team practices and facilitate the resolution of conflicts that may arise.

What is ‘Collaborative Practice’ anyway?

Carol P. Herbert defines collaborative practice in her article, “Changing the Culture: Interprofessional Education for Collaborative Patient-Centred Practice in Canada” as “the continuous interaction of two or more professionals or disciplines, organized into a common effort, to solve or explore common issues with the best possible participation of the patient.” Beyond this, at its core, interprofessional care is based on collaboration and marks a shift from autonomy in the medical arts to a team-based interdependency. Individuals engaged in collaborative practice are mutually dependant on each other and are aware of each other’s’ expertise. Power no longer resides solely with the physician but is shared amongst team members and with the patient.