After Hours in the FHO

What is the purpose of After Hours sessions and what are my responsibilities?

The FHG agreements state that a physician providing an After Hours clinic must maintain ‘several’ appointments for patients.  These patients may be directed to the clinic by THAS or may call the physician on their own. Physicians with after hours coverage are also responsible for providing an encounter report to the patient’s family doctor, which is later added to their medical chart/records.

The goal of primary care reform and the FHO model is to support continuity of care for the patient and reduce the use of “walk in clinics where the patient encounter is unknown to their family physicians”. Every doctor has at least one story of a chronic condition that went undetected because the patient was seen at various walk in clinics and arrived at their family physician’s office with a condition that could have been more easily treated when it first presented. It is not uncommon for patients to arrive at their family physician’s office with a prescription in hand wanting their physician to confirm if the diagnosis they received at the walk-in clinic was correct.

In the FHO, physicians work together to educate their patients to seek after hours care within the FHO, as it supports continuity of care for their patients and improves outcomes.

The FHO After Hours clinics also allow physicians, who take time out of the office, to have peace of mind since the urgent care needs of their patients will be covered by their FHO colleagues. As well, there will be a record of each encounter upon their return, allowing appropriate follow up as required.