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Every day, thousands of Canadians receive primary health care (PHC) services, usually through a nurse practitioner, a general practitioner or a family physician. PHC is an important source of chronic disease prevention and management. It may involve health professionals such as nurses, nurse practitioners, physicians, dietitians, physiotherapists and social workers.

This type of care typically involves

  • Routine care
  • Care for urgent but minor or common health problems
  • Mental health care
  • Maternity and child care
  • Psychosocial services
  • Liaison with home care
  • Health promotion and disease prevention
  • Nutrition counselling
  • End-of-life care

Primary Health Care Information program

One of CIHI’s newest programs is the Primary Health Care Information program. Its goal is to make PHC data available to stakeholders and to collaborate with key stakeholders across the country to address priority information needs. A major focus of this program is improving PHC electronic medical record (EMR) data sources across Canada. This focus includes data solutions (standards and data source development) and information solutions (indicators and analyses) that can be used to

  • Better understand PHC and its role in the broader health system
  • Report on priority PHC indicators and health system performance
  • Inform health policy and decision-making at various levels

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Primary health care information

 Reports and analyses
 Databases and data sources
 Standards
 Related content

Reports and analyses

Databases and data sources

PHC Voluntary Reporting System (EMR data source)

The PHC Voluntary Reporting System is an emerging EMR data source that is being developed to support a broad range of health system uses. The program currently collects EMR data in the areas of

  • Diabetes
  • Coronary artery disease
  • Hypertension
  • Depression
  • Osteoarthritis
  • Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
  • Asthma

Our long-term goal is to provide a rich and comprehensive source of PHC data that can be used to better understand the relationships among various aspects of PHC.

As part of this program, we are collaborating with the Canadian Primary Care Sentinel Surveillance Network, a pan-Canadian chronic disease sentinel surveillance network being developed by primary care research networks in collaboration with the College of Family Physicians of Canada with funding from the Public Health Agency of Canada.

Enhancing existing data sources

For patient and provider surveys, we increased sample sizes and aligned survey questions with our PHC indicators. Enhanced survey sources include

Standards

Pan-Canadian primary health care indicators

In 2006, CIHI released 105 pan-Canadian PHC indicators, which were identified through a consensus process as being necessary to measure and compare PHC performance at multiple levels within and across jurisdictions in Canada.

Building on this, in 2012, CIHI updated two suites of indicators—one to meet the needs of policy-makers and health system managers and the other to meet the needs of PHC providers. Broad stakeholder consultations were undertaken to ensure that the updated indicator definitions were developed in alignment with an identified data source, consistent with current clinical guidelines and reflected important aspects of PHC.

Pan-Canadian primary health care EMR content standard

Working with jurisdictions and Canada Health Infoway, CIHI led the development and release of a common and agreed-upon PHC EMR content standard in early 2011. This pan-Canadian standard is increasingly being used in EMR applications to support PHC delivery and improved health system management.

Get more detailed information

Pan-Canadian primary health care survey questions and tools

CIHI worked with survey experts from across the country to develop a core set of PHC survey questions and supporting survey instruments. This effort drew on existing survey questions in use in Canada and internationally.

While coordinated by CIHI, this work was led by survey experts and informed and influenced by future users of the tools. Our goal is to develop and release a core set of pan-Canadian PHC patient, provider and practice survey questions and supporting tools for a broad range of users. Please send an email to phc@cihi.ca for more information.