Welcome
to the web site for the Enhancing Interdisciplinary Collaboration in
Primary Health Care (EICP) Initiative! In this exciting and inspiring national initiative, the leaders in Canada�s primary health care system worked together to facilitate more interdisciplinary collaboration. Between April 2004 and September 2006, the EICP Initiative engaged primary health care providers, governments and Canadians in a national effort to create a framework for change and innovation in primary health care.
Our objective was to encourage health professionals to work together in the most effective and efficient way to produce the best health outcomes for patients and for providers. We had an ambitious research agenda designed to gain new insights into successful primary care models in both urban and rural settings. We also studied successful interdisciplinary primary health care practices across Canada and collected practical tools to encourage inter-disciplinary collaboration. The Initiative delivered a set of guiding principles and a framework for collaboration that is inspiring health care providers and governments to ensure that Canadians have access to the right professional and the right services, at the right time.
A Steering Committee comprised of physicians,
nurses, social workers, physiotherapists, speech-language pathologists,
audiologists, dietitians, psychologists, pharmacists, occupational
therapists and a national coalition on preventative practices provided leadership and direction to the Initiative.
The EICP Initiative was funded by Health Canada’s
Primary Health Care Transition Fund.
Our work will be of interest to health services
providers, policy-makers and, of course, all Canadians. We invite you to navigate this site to find motivation, insights and tools, to strengthen your interdisciplinary practices.
“Primary health care involves
responding to illness within the broader determinants of health. It
also includes co-ordinating, integrating and expanding systems and
services to provide more population health, sickness prevention and
health promotion by all disciplines. It encourages the best use of
all health providers to maximize the potential of all health
resources.” — Adapted from: A. Mable and J. Marriott, “Sharing the
learning — The health transition fund synthesis series: Primary
health care,” (Ottawa: Health Canada, 2002). |
Funding for this Initiative was provided by
Health Canada. The opinions expressed in
this web are those of the authors/researchers and do not necessarily
reflect the official views of Health Canada. |