Webinar Highlights: Optimizing Primary Care Efficiency Through  Integration and Team Collaboration

The demand for accessible, effective primary care in Ontario has never been higher. With an estimated two million Ontarians currently without a family doctor or nurse practitioner, patients often turn to emergency departments and walk-in clinics for everyday needs — an inefficient solution that leaves preventative care gaps unaddressed.

Our recent webinar, “Optimizing Primary Care Efficiency Through IHP Integration and Team Collaboration,” led by nurse practitioners Julia Hutton and Teresa Wetselaar, explored how interdisciplinary health professionals can help close these gaps and strengthen care.

Why Team-Based Care Works

Currently, only about 15% of Ontarians have access to team-based primary care. Expanding this model is essential, but success depends on more than just funding. It requires collaboration, role clarity, and making the most of each clinician’s skills.

Benefits at every level:

• For patients: quicker access, holistic care, and better prevention.
• For clinicians: less burnout, greater job satisfaction, and the chance to work at full scope.
• For the system: lower costs, stronger community care, and improved capacity.

As Julia noted:

“The teams that include everyone in decision-making tend to have the best outcomes for both patients and clinicians.”

Making Collaboration Practical

Team-based care isn’t without challenges — costs, role confusion, and process gaps can slow things down. But intentional strategies make collaboration smoother:

• Regular team huddles and meetings
• Clear care pathways for chronic disease, cancer screening, and preventive care
• Cross-training and shadowing to understand scopes of practice
• Culture-building activities to strengthen trust

Many team members can contribute more than they’re typically asked to. Some examples shared in the webinar:

• Nurses: well-child visits, cancer screening, chronic disease management
• Dietitians: nutrition counselling, breastfeeding support, allergy management
• Pharmacists: medication reviews, pain management, smoking cessation
• Mental health counsellors: family, perinatal, and individual support
• Nurse practitioners: women’s health clinics, geriatric care, procedures, addiction support

These clinics not only expand access but also ease pressure on hospitals and emergency departments.

Clear Referrals, Better Access

Efficiency also depends on streamlined internal referrals. Using EMR-integrated forms and shared referral pathways makes it easier for any team member to connect patients with the right clinician, improving access and saving time.

Moving Forward

The takeaway is clear: collaboration, communication, and full-scope practice lead to better outcomes for patients, greater satisfaction for clinicians, and a stronger health system.

Amplify Care is committed to co-designing tools and processes that reduce administrative burden and improve the care experience.