COVID-19 Primary Care System Supports

Issue and Context

With the Pandemic, the ISU decided to look to where there may be specific adaptations and needs In the primary care community.

Through an initial learning cycle, we discovered many primary care provider needs. While adapting some of our existing tools and, in collaboration with BC-PHCRN and others, we developed some tools that can apply a risk prediction model to primary care practice populations to help aid clinic providers / teams in proactively supporting higher risk patients.

We also developed several other projects:

Immunization Primary and Community Care Mapping

Primary and Community Care (PACC) Mapping is well suited to help small and medium sized communities plan for different pandemic models. We adapted PACC mapping to be virtual and created a version that is specific to COVID-19 planning at the community level.

COVIDToolkit.ca

With the help of our national collaborators, we created an online resource to help primary care offices across Canada find information about COVID-19 vaccines and plan immunization clinics in their offices. Visit COVIDToolkit.ca to learn more.

Primary Care in a Pandemic Podcast

In Spring 2020, the ISU launched the Primary Care in a Pandemic Podcast where we looked at the changes that are happening in primary care in British Columbia during the COVID-19 pandemic. Episodes focussed on ways primary care clinics can and are adapting in this crisis, and explored practical topics from how to stay connected with your team to how to approach advanced care planning with patients. The podcast wrapped up in January 2022 and listeners were encouraged to jump over to Team UP!, our other podcast focussed on team-based primary care in BC.

Virtual Primary Care Nursing

In this project, we developed a set of suggestions for nurses adapting their practices to virtual primary care.