Collaboration Toolkit

The Enhancing Interdisciplinary Collaboration in Primary Health Care (EICP) Initiative leaves as part of its legacy this Collaboration Toolkit. Its aim: to provide the best possible advice and to share leading examples of how organizations across the country are practicing interdisciplinary care. Anyone keen to build or sustain an interdisciplinary primary health care team will find practical tools and advice here. Policy-makers too will also benefit from many components of the Toolkit. The Collaboration Toolkit consists of one report and one inventory of tools and practices.

Interdisciplinary Primary Health Care: Finding the Answers�A Case Study Report

This report bridges the research with the �how to� by describing the experiences of organizations with strong collaborative practices in primary health care. Its purpose is to spotlight seven real-life examples of interdisciplinary practice from across the country. From east to west they are: Dr. Charles L. LeGrow Health Care Centre in Newfoundland; Rosedale Medical Group in Ontario; Nor'West Co-op Community Health Centre in Manitoba; Taber Associate Medical Centre, Lethbridge Family Medical Centre, and Pincher Creek Associate Medical Clinic in Alberta; and Mid-Main Community Health Centre in British Columbia. Each of these organizations pursues interdisciplinary care in its own unique way, bringing home the point that there is no single right way, no step-by-step prescription for how best to practice interdisciplinary care. Please click below to download this report.

http://www.eicp-acis.ca/en/toolkit/EICP-Case-Studies-Report-Final-Aug-14.pdf

Inventory of Tools and Practices That Support Interdisciplinary Collaboration

For ease of use, this inventory has been organized around the key principles and framework elements developed by the EICP Initiative. Click on any of these themes and you'll find practical tips and tools such as checklists, sample duty rosters, vision and policy statements, floor plans and organizational charts. In many cases, there is a source and/or a reference for the tool.

The Toolkit's examples are by no means complete or exhaustive. They are tools that support interdisciplinary efforts across the country, which we have collected primarily through a web-based documentation review. Through case studies and a consultation process that included telephone interviews, e-mail discussions and surveys, we obtained additional information and more tools.

We are grateful to the Primary Health Care Federal/Provincial/Territorial Committee and the Primary Health Care Transition Fund, as well as Fort Qu'Appelle Medical Clinic, North End Community Centre, Calgary Health Region Home Care, Grand Bend Community Centre, Salluit Maternity�Inuulitsivik Health Centre, Group Health Centre and Klinic Community Health Centre for their contributions. Furthermore, we recognize the Dr. Charles L. LeGrow Health Care Centre, Rosedale Medical Group, Nor'West Co-op Community Health Centre, Taber Associate Medical Centre, and Mid-Main Community Health Centre for allowing us to study their organizations and disseminate some of the great tools that they are using.

The EICP principles and framework are the cornerstone on which we have assessed each potential tool and practice. We asked: Does the tool reflect and adhere to the EICP principles and framework? Does it apply to most provincial/territorial settings? Is it flexible in its application? Is it from a reputable source? And is the quality of the tool high? For every non-public document, we obtained approval to disseminate it.

It is our sincere hope that this Toolkit helps you to practice interdisciplinary care and that you make full use of it.

Note: The documents in this Toolkit are examples that can be used by organizations and tailored to their needs. We are not endorsing them. The documents appear in the language in which they were sent to us and have not been translated.

(NB: The EICP toolkit is a companion to the EICP Principles and Framework.)

EICP Principles

• Patient/Client Engagement
• Population Health Approach
• Best Possible Care and Services
• Access
• Trust and Respect
• Effective Communication

EICP Framework Elements

• Health Human Resources
• Funding
• Liability
• Regulation
• Information and Communications Technology
• Management and Leadership
• Planning and Evaluation