Small group learning sessions are now available through the Practice Support Program. This reflective innovative learning model engages doctors in locally and clinically relevant topics as identified by their division of family practice.
“The medical practice landscape is shifting,” says Mr Graham Taylor, Executive Lead, Practice Support Program. “And, our services are responding appropriately with practical and meaningful practice improvement supports for doctors.”
To support the profession where change and learning are routine and necessary, this group education model accommodates self-directed curriculums and focuses on facilitation. While groups can vary in size, frequency, or specialty, the common thread is solution-focused discovery. Physicians are offered choices about what content is featured, and they are encouraged to identify the information they need based on opportunity, interest, or perceived gaps in care.
Over the last two months, 33 doctors, MOAs, and allied health professionals have participated in four small group learning sessions across the province. Topics have included Med Access upgrade to maternity care, Profile EMR basics, EMR messaging and tasks, entering discrete data into an EMR, and more.
“While small group learning sessions can effectively support EMR optimal use, we know these sessions can also support many clinical quality improvement topics – such as end-of-life or adult and child mental health– by providing physicians with valuable tools and resources in support of quality patient care,” says Mr Taylor.
Each local division works with their Regional Support Team (RST) coordinator to identify a topic that reflects the local quality improvement needs. Together, the division and RST coordinator determine session objectives that are practical, meaningful, clinically and/or office-efficiency focused. Depending on the chosen content and facilitation methods, small group learning sessions have been approved for Mainpro-C accreditation on a basis of one credit per hour.
While participating in small group learning sessions, doctors can:
- Explore and customize learnings.
- Plan for practice changes based on content.
- Discuss how to embed these changes into their practice workflow and to help enrich provider satisfaction.
- Test group learning content in a practice environment.
- Collect aggregated data and share information through a model of supporting reflective learning to ensure the improvements being implemented are sustainable and shared in supporting the physician’s clinic or practice.
The small group learning environment ensures participants are supported in their planning, goal setting, implementation of practice changes, and integration of improvements into clinical workflow.
“Reflective practice is a way of studying your own experiences to improve the way you work,” says Mr Taylor. “Engaging in reflective practice can not only help improve quality of care, it can improve clinical work flows and provider satisfaction.”
After a session, doctors can receive in-office support from a physician, MOA peer mentor, or RST coordinator.
For more information about small group learning sessions, click here.
To enquire about initiating or participating in a small group learning session, contact your local division or RST coordinator directly.