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In order to acquire real-time transient alkali data on coal-derived gaseous fuel and combustion streams often at low ppb levels, an extractive, total (vapor and particle-bound) sodium and potassium monitor has been designed, constructed, and tested. This fiber-optic alkali monitor (FOAM) utilizes state-of-the-art fiber-optic light transfer, a novel light-filtering background correction method, and high sensitivity photodiode signal detection. The sample enters the monitor’s high-temperature flame, which supplies energy to both decompose and excite the sample. The flame then emits light at the characteristic wavelengths of sodium and potassium. The resulting emissions are transferred by the fiber-optic bundle to the detection system, where the signal is filtered, background corrected, and transferred to the data system. The FOAM has advantages over previous instrumentation in being rugged, portable, and compact. Laboratory testing of the FOAM has been completed. The FOAM was determined to be highly sensitive (mid-ppt detection limits) with a wide linear dynamic range (four orders of magnitude). The results of field monitoring of alkali levels in the exhaust stream of a pressurized combustor using the FOAM indicated that the monitor was capable of real-time, fast tracking of transient alkali behavior in a high-temperature/high-pressure process stream. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: To investigate variations in accessibility, continuity of care, and coordination of services as experienced by patients in Quebec on the eve of major reforms, and to provide baseline information against which reforms could be measured. DESIGN: Multilevel cross-sectional survey of practice. SETTING: One hundred primary health care settings were randomly selected in urban, suburban, rural, and remote locations in 5 health regions in Quebec. PARTICIPANTS: In each clinic, we chose up to 4 physicians and 20 consecutive patients consulting each physician. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Patients' responses to a self-administered questionnaire, the Primary Care Assessment Tool, that assessed patient-provider affiliation, accessibility, relational continuity, coordination of primary and specialty care, and whether patients received health promotion and preventive services. RESULTS: A total of 3441 patients participated (87% acceptance rate) in 100 clinics (64% response rate). Timely access was difficult; only 10% expressed confidence they could be seen by their regular doctors within a day if they became suddenly ill. Average waiting time for a doctor's appointment was 24 days. Coordination of care with specialists was at minimally acceptable levels. Patients with family physicians recalled them addressing only 56% of the health promotion and preventive issues appropriate for their age and sex, and patients without family physicians recalled physicians addressing substantially fewer (38%). Most patients reported they were highly confident that their physicians knew them well and would manage their care beyond clinical encounters (relational continuity). The exception was the 16% of patients overall who did not have family physicians (34% of patients at walk-in clinics). CONCLUSION: This survey highlights serious problems with accessibility. Improvement is needed urgently to avoid deterioration of patients' confidence in the health system even though patients rate their relationships with their physician highly. Health promotion, preventive services, and coordination with specialists also needed to be improved, and careful thought must be given to the plight of those without family physicians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The new forms of organization of healthcare services entail the development of new clinical practices that are grounded in collaboration. Despite recent advances in research on the subject of collaboration, there is still a need for a better understanding of collaborative processes and for conceptual tools to help healthcare professionals develop collaboration amongst themselves in complex systems. This study draws on D'Amour's structuration model of collaboration to analyze healthcare facilities offering perinatal services in four health regions in the province of Quebec. The objectives are to: 1) validate the indicators of the structuration model of collaboration; 2) evaluate interprofessional and interorganizational collaboration in four health regions; and 3) propose a typology of collaboration Methods: A multiple-case research strategy was used. The cases were the healthcare facilities that offer perinatal services in four health regions in the province of Quebec (Canada). The data were collected through 33 semi-structured interviews with healthcare managers and professionals working in the four regions. Written material was also analyzed. The data were subjected to a "mixed" inductive-deductive analysis conducted in two main stages: an internal analysis of each case followed by a cross-sectional analysis of all the cases. Results: The collaboration indicators were shown to be valid, although some changes were made to three of them. Analysis of the data showed great variation in the level of collaboration between the cases and on each dimension. The results suggest a three-level typology of collaboration based on the ten indicators: active collaboration, developing collaboration and potential collaboration. Conclusion: The model and the typology make it possible to analyze collaboration and identify areas for improvement. Researchers can use the indicators to determine the intensity of collaboration and link it to clinical outcomes. Professionals and administrators can use the model to perform a diagnostic of collaboration and implement interventions to intensify it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: The work of general practitioners (GPs) is increasingly being looked at from the perspective of the strategies and factors shaping it. This reflects the importance given to primary care services in health care system reform. However, the literature provides little insight into the medical decision-making processes in general practice. Our main objective was to better understand how organizational and environmental factors influence the work of GPs. METHODS: We interviewed 28 GPs working in contrasting organizational settings and environments. The data analysis involved using structuration theory to enrich the interpretation of empirical material. RESULTS: We identified four main factors that influence the practice of GPs: mode of remuneration, peer-to-peer interactions, patients' demands and the availability of other medical resources in the environment. These four conditions of action - what we call primary effects - can directly influence the performance of medical acts and time management, as well as the degree of specialization of GPs. Decisions related to each of those aspects can have a variety of both intentional and non-intentional consequences - what we call secondary effects - that are then likely to become conditions for subsequent action. CONCLUSION: This qualitative study helps shed light on the complex causal loops of interrelated factors that shape the work of GPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: In 2011, the Agence de la santé et des services sociaux de Montréal (ASSSM), in partnership with the region's Centres de santé et de services sociaux (CSSS), coordinated the implementation of a program on cardiometabolic risk based on the Chronic Care Model. The program, intended for patients suffering from diabetes or hypertension, involved a series of individual follow-up appointments, group classes and exercise sessions. Our study assesses the impact on patient health outcomes of variations in the implementation of some aspects of the program among the six CSSSs taking part in the study., Methods: The evaluation was carried out using a quasi-experimental "before and after" design. Implementation variables were constructed based on data collected during the implementation analysis regarding resources, compliance with the clinical process set out in the regional program, the program experience and internal coordination within the care team. Differences in differences using propensity scores were calculated for HbA1c results, achieving the blood pressure (BP) target, and two lifestyle targets (exercise level and carbohydrate distribution) at the 6- and 12-month follow-ups, based on greater or lesser patient exposure to the implementation of various aspects of the program under study., Results: The results focus on 1185 patients for whom we had data at the 6-month follow- up and the 992 patients from the 12-month follow-up. The difference in differences analysis shows no clear association between the extent of implementation of the various aspects of the program under study and patient health outcomes., Conclusion: The program produces effects on selected health indicators independent of variations in program implementation among the CSSSs taking part in the study. The results suggest that the effects of this type of program are more highly dependent on the delivery of interventions to patients than on the organizational aspects of its implementation., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Purpose: Nurses are identified as a key provider in the management of patients in primary care. The objective of this study was to evaluate patients' experience of care in primary care as it pertained to the nursing role. The aim was to test the hypothesis that, in primary health care organizations (PHCOs) where patients are systematically followed by a nurse, and where nursing competencies are therefore optimally used, patients' experience of care is better., Method: Based on a cross-sectional analysis combining organizational and experience of care surveys, we built 2 groups of PHCOs. The first group of PHCOs reported having a nurse who systematically followed patients. The second group had a nurse who performed a variety of activities but did not systematically follow patients. Five indicators of care were constructed based on patient questionnaires. Bivariate and multivariate linear mixed models with random intercepts and with patients nested within were used to analyze the experience of care indicators in both groups., Results: Bivariate analyses revealed a better patient experience of care in PHCOs where a nurse systematically followed patients than in those where a nurse performed other activities. In multivariate analyses that included adjustment variables related to PHCOs and patients, the accessibility indicator was found to be higher., Conclusion: Results indicated that systematic follow-up of patients by nurses improved patients' experience of care in terms of accessibility. Using nurses' scope of practice to its full potential is a promising avenue for enhancing both patients' experience of care and health services efficiency.

Objective: To assess the degree of collaboration in primary health care organizations between FPs and other health care professionals; and to identify organizational factors associated with such collaboration., Design: Cross-sectional survey., Setting: Primary health care organizations in the Montreal and Monteregie regions of Quebec., Participants: Physicians or administrative managers from 376 organizations., Main Outcome Measures: Degree of collaboration between FPs and other specialists and between FPs and nonphysician health professionals., Results: Almost half (47.1%) of organizations reported a high degree of collaboration between FPs and other specialists, but a high degree of collaboration was considerably less common between FPs and nonphysician professionals (16.5%). Clinic collaboration with a hospital and having more patients with at least 1 chronic disease were associated with higher FP collaboration with other specialists. The proportion of patients with at least 1 chronic disease was the only factor associated with collaboration between FPs and nonphysician professionals., Conclusion: There is room for improvement regarding interprofessional collaboration in primary health care, especially between FPs and nonphysician professionals. Organizations that manage patients with more chronic diseases collaborate more with both non-FP specialists and nonphysician professionals., (Copyright© the College of Family Physicians of Canada.)

Background: Cancer is the leading cause of death in Canada. Early cancer diagnosis could improve patients' prognosis and quality of life. This study aimed to analyze the factors influencing elapsed time between the first help-seeking trigger and cancer diagnosis with respect to the three most common and deadliest cancer types: lung, breast, and colorectal., Methods: This paper presents the qualitative component of a larger project based on a sequential explanatory design. Twenty-two patients diagnosed were interviewed, between 2011 to 2013, in oncology clinics of four hospitals in the two most populous regions in Quebec (Canada). Transcripts were analyzed using the Model of Pathways to Treatment., Results: Pre-diagnosis elapsed time and phases are difficult to appraise precisely and vary according to cancer sites and symptoms specificity. This observation makes the Model of Pathways to Treatment challenging to use to analyze patients' experiences. Analyses identified factors contributing to elapsed time that are linked to type of cancer, to patients, and to health system organization., Conclusions: This research allowed us to identify avenues for reducing the intervals between first symptoms and cancer diagnosis. The existence of inequities in access to diagnostic services, even in a universal healthcare system, was highlighted.

Introduction: Chronic disease management requires substantial services integration. A cardiometabolic risk management program inspired by the Chronic Care Model was implemented in Montréal for patients with diabetes or hypertension. One of this study's objectives was to assess the impact of care coordination between the interdisciplinary teams and physicians on patient participation in the program, lifestyle improvements and disease control., Methods: We obtained data on health outcomes from a register of clinical data, questionnaires completed by patients upon entry into the program and at the 12-month mark, and we drew information on the program's characteristics from the implementation analysis. We conducted multiple regression analyses, controlling for patient sociodemographic and health characteristics, to measure the association between interdisciplinary team coordination with primary care physicians and various health outcomes., Results: A total of 1689 patients took part in the study (60.1% participation rate). Approximately 40% of patients withdrew from the program during the first year. At the 12-month follow-up (n = 992), we observed a significant increase in the proportion of patients achieving the various clinical targets. The perception by the interdisciplinary team of greater care coordination with primary care physicians was associated with increased participation in the program and the achievement of better clinical results., Conclusion: Greater coordination of patient services between interdisciplinary teams and primary care physicians translates into benefits for patients.

Physicians' gender can have an impact on many aspects of patient experience of care. Organization processes through which the influence of gender is exerted have not been fully explored. The aim of this article is to compare primary health care (PHC) organizations in which female or male doctors are predominant regarding organization and patient characteristics, and to assess their influence on experience of care, preventive care delivery, use of services, and unmet needs. In 2010, we conducted surveys of a population stratified sample (N = 9180) and of all PHC organizations (N = 606) in 2 regions of the province of Québec, Canada. Patient and organization variables were entered sequentially into multilevel regression analyses to measure the impact of gender predominance. Female-predominant organizations had younger doctors and nurses with more expanded role; they collaborated more with other PHC practices, used more tools for prevention, and allotted more time to patient visits. However, doctors spent fewer hours a week at the practice in female-predominant organizations. Patients of these organizations reported lower accessibility. Conversely, they reported better comprehensiveness, responsiveness, counseling, and screening, but these effects were mainly attributable to doctors' younger age. Their reporting unmet needs and emergency department attendance tended to decrease when controlling for patient and organization variables other than doctors' age. Except for accessibility, female-predominant PHC organizations are comparable with their male counterparts. Mean age of doctors was an important confounding variable that mitigated differences, whereas other organization variables enhanced them. These findings deserve consideration to better understand and assess the impacts of the growing number of female-predominant PHC organizations on the health care system.

Background: End-of-life policies are hotly debated in many countries, with international evidence frequently used to support or oppose legal reforms. Existing reviews are limited by their focus on specific practices or selected jurisdictions. The objective is to review international time trends in end-of-life practices., Methods: We conducted a systematic review of empirical studies on medical end-of-life practices, including treatment withdrawal, the use of drugs for symptom management, and the intentional use of lethal drugs. A search strategy was conducted in MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, Sociological Abstracts, PAIS International, Worldwide Political Science Abstracts, International Bibliography of the Social Sciences and CINAHL. We included studies that described physicians' actual practices and estimated annual frequency at the jurisdictional level. End-of-life practice frequencies were analyzed for variations over time, using logit regression., Results: Among 8183 references, 39 jurisdiction-wide surveys conducted between 1990 and 2010 were identified. Of those, 22 surveys used sufficiently similar research methods to allow further statistical analysis. Significant differences were found across surveys in the frequency of treatment withdrawal, use of opiates or sedatives and the intentional use of lethal drugs (X 2  > 1000, p < 0.001 for all). Regression analyses showed increased use of opiates and sedatives over time (p < 0.001), which could reflect more intense symptom management at the end of life, or increase in these drugs to intentionally cause patients' death., Conclusion: The use of opiates and sedatives appears to have significantly increased over time between 1990 and 2010. Better distinction between practices with different legal status is required to properly interpret the policy significance of these changes. Research on the effects of public policies should take a comprehensive look at trends in end-of-life practice patterns and their associations with policy changes.

Size of primary health care (PHC) practices is often used as a proxy for various organizational characteristics related to provision of care. The objective of this article is to identify some of these organizational characteristics and to determine the extent to which they mediate the relationship between size of PHC practice and patients' experience of care, preventive services, and unmet needs. In 2010, we conducted population and organization surveys in 2 regions of the province of Quebec. We carried out multilevel linear and logistic regression analyses, adjusting for respondents' individual characteristics. Size of PHC practice was associated with organizational characteristics and resources, patients' experience of care, unmet needs, and preventive services. Overall, the larger the size of a practice, the higher the accessibility, but the lower the continuity. However, these associations faded away when organizational variables were introduced in the analysis model. This result supports the hypothesized mediating effect of organizational characteristics on relationships between practice size and patients' experience of care, preventive services, and unmet needs. Our results indicate that size does not add much information to organizational characteristics. Using size as a proxy for organizational characteristics can even be misleading because its relationships with different outcomes are highly variable., (© The Author(s) 2016.)

Introduction. Healthcare reforms launched in the early 2000s in Québec, Canada, involved the implementation of new forms of primary healthcare (PHC) organizations: Family Medicine Groups (FMGs) and Network Clinics (NCs). The objective of this paper is to assess how the organizational changes associated with these reforms have impact on patients' experience of care, use of services, and unmet needs. Methods. We conducted population and organization surveys in 2005 and 2010 in two regions of the province of Québec. The design was a before-and-after natural experiment. Changes over time between new models and other practices were assessed using difference-in-differences statistical procedures. Results. Accessibility decreased between 2003 and 2010, but less so in the treatment than in the comparison group. Continuity of care generally improved, but the increase was less for patients in the treatment group. Responsiveness also increased during the period and more so in the treatment group. There was no other significant difference between the two groups. Conclusion. PHC reform in Québec has brought about major organizational changes that have translated into slight improvements in accessibility of care and responsiveness. However, the reform does not seem to have had an impact on continuity, comprehensiveness, perceived care outcomes, use of services, and unmet needs.

Objectives. To assess the extent to which new primary healthcare (PHC) models implemented in two regions of Quebec have improved patient experience of care, unmet needs, and use of services for individuals with and without chronic diseases, compared with other forms of PHC practices. Methods. In 2005 and 2010, we carried out population and organization surveys. We divided PHC organizations into new model practices and other practices and followed the evolution over time of patient experience of care. Results. Patients with chronic diseases had better accessibility but worse continuity of care in the new model practices than in the other practices at both time periods. Through the reform, accessibility decreased evenly in both groups, but continuity and perceived outcomes improved more in the other practices. Use of primary care services decreased more in the new model practices. Among patients without chronic disease, accessibility decreased much less in the new models and responsiveness increased more. There was no significant change in ER attendance and hospitalization. Conclusion. The evolution of patient experience of care has been more favorable for patients without chronic diseases. These findings raise concerns about equity since the aim of the PHC reform was targeting in priority individuals with the greatest needs.

Introduction: In 2003, the Quebec government made important changes in its primary healthcare (PHC) system. This reform included the creation of new models of PHC, Family Medicine Groups (e.g. multidisciplinary health teams with extended opening hours and enrolment of patients) and Network Clinics (clinics providing access to investigation and specialist services). Considering that equity is one of the guiding principles of the Quebec health system, our objectives are to assess the impact of the PHC reform on equity by examining the association between socio-economic status (SES) and utilization of healthcare services between 2003 and 2010; and to determine how the organizational model of PHC facilities impacts utilization of services according to SES., Methods: We held population surveys in 2005 (n = 9206) and 2010 (n = 9180) in the two most populated regions of Quebec province, relating to utilization and experience of care during the preceding two years, as well as organizational surveys of all PHC facilities. We performed multiple logistical regression analyses comparing levels of SES for different utilization variables, controlling for morbidity and perceived health; we repeated the analyses, this time including type of PHC facility (older vs newer models)., Results: Compared with the lowest SES, highest SES is associated with less emergency room visits (OR 0.80) and higher likelihood of at least one visit to a PHC facility (OR 2.17), but lower likelihood of frequent visits to PHC (OR 0.69), and higher affiliation to a family doctor (OR 2.04). Differences remained stable between the 2005 and 2010 samples except for likelihood of visit to PHC source which deteriorated for the lowest SES. Greater improvement in affiliation to family doctor was seen for the lowest SES in older models of PHC organizations, but a deterioration was seen for that same group in newer models., Conclusions: Differences favoring the rich in affiliation to family doctor and likelihood of visit to PHC facility likely represent inequities in access to PHC which remained stable or deteriorated after the reform. New models of PHC organizations do not appear to have improved equity. We believe that an equity-focused approach is needed in order to address persisting inequities.

Background: School screening programs for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) have been discontinued in Canada and elsewhere because they were not considered cost-effective. In communities lacking such programs, we expect a significant variety of healthcare pathways and timeframes for patient referrals to orthopaedics. The objectives of this study were: 1) to characterise the healthcare pathways of young children with suspected AIS in a population without school screening; and 2) to investigate the relationships between these healthcare pathways and the appropriateness of referrals to specialised orthopaedic clinics., Methods: This study concerned all children, ages 10 to 18, referred for an initial visit for suspected AIS to any of the five out-patient paediatric orthopaedic clinics of south-western Quebec (Canada). For the 831 participants, referrals to orthopaedics were characterised as appropriate, late, or inappropriate, based on known risk factors for AIS progression and on treatment indications. Parents documented the circumstances of healthcare use prior to the orthopaedic consultation. Relevant predisposing, enabling, and need variables derived from Andersen's Behavioral Model of Health Services Use were also documented. Healthcare pathways were characterised by developing a taxonomy using multiple correspondence analysis prior to hierarchical classification. Associations between the healthcare pathways and appropriateness of referral were assessed using multinomial regression analyses., Results: We constructed a taxonomy of five distinct healthcare pathways: 1) Lay/regular source of care interrelation, 2) Other professionals, 3) Lay/consultation discontinuity, 4) Other medical doctor, and 5) Regular source of care continuity. Laypersons played an important role in AIS suspicion (53% of cases), but did not prevent late referrals. Continuity of care, as opposed to numerous uncoordinated consultations, was an effective strategy to prevent late referrals (OR = 0.32 [0.17-0.59]), but was related to increased probability of inappropriate referrals., Conclusions: We identified two cardinal characteristics that distinguished the healthcare pathways and related significantly to appropriateness of referral status, namely the role of laypersons and the involvement of the regular source of care. This suggests directions for intervention such as advocating for access to a regular source of care, increasing awareness of the disease to medical practitioners' and improving their knowledge of AIS detection and referral criteria.

Introduction: Since 2000, primary care (PC) reforms have been implemented in various Canadian provinces. Emerging organizational models and policies are at various levels of implementation across jurisdictions. Few cross-provincial analyses of these reforms have been realized. The aim of this study is to identify the factors that have facilitated or hindered implementation of reforms in Canadian provinces between 2000 and 2010., Methods: A literature and policy scan identified evaluation studies across Canadian jurisdictions. Experts from British Columbia, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, Ontario and Quebec were asked to review the scope of published evaluations and draft provincial case descriptions. A one-day deliberative forum was held, bringing together researchers (n = 40) and decision-makers (n = 20) from all the participating provinces., Results: Despite a relative lack of published evaluations, our results suggest that PC reform has varied with regard to the scope and the policy levers used to implement change. Some provinces implemented specific PC models, while other provinces designed overarching policies aiming at changing professional behaviour and practice. The main perceived barriers to reform were the lack of financial investment, resistance from professional associations, too overtly prescriptive approaches lacking adaptability and an overly centralized governance model. The main perceived facilitators were a strong financial commitment using various allocation and payment approaches, the cooperation of professional associations and an incremental emergent change philosophy based on a strong decentralization of decisions allowing adaptation to local circumstances. So far the most beneficial results of the reforms seem to be an increase in patients' affiliation with a usual source of care, improved experience of care by patients and a higher workforce satisfaction., Conclusion: PC reforms currently under consideration in other jurisdictions could learn from the factors identified as promoting or hindering change in the provinces that have been most proactive., (Copyright © 2015 Longwoods Publishing.)

Objectives: End-of-life policy reforms are being debated in many countries. Research evidence is used to support different assumptions about the effects of public policies on end-of-life practices. It is however unclear whether reliable international practice comparisons can be conducted between different policy contexts. Our aim was to assess the feasibility of comparing similar end-of-life practices in different policy contexts., Methods: This is a scoping review of empirical studies on medical end-of-life practices. We developed a descriptive classification of end-of-life practices that distinguishes practices according to their legal status. We focused on the intentional use of lethal drugs by physicians because of international variations in the legal status of this practice. Bibliographic database searches were supplemented by expert consultation and hand searching of reference lists. The sensitivity of the search strategy was tested using a set of 77 articles meeting our inclusion criteria. Two researchers extracted end-of-life practice definitions, study methods and available comparisons across policy contexts. Canadian decision-makers were involved to increase the policy relevance of the review., Results: In sum, 329 empirical studies on the intentional use of lethal drugs by doctors were identified, including studies from 19 countries. The bibliographic search captured 98.7% of studies initially identified as meeting the inclusion criteria. Studies on the intentional use of lethal drugs were conducted in jurisdictions with permissive (62%) and restrictive policies (43%). The most common study objectives related to the frequency of end-of-life practices, determinants of practices, and doctors' adherence to regulatory standards. Large variations in definitions and research methods were noted across studies. The use of a descriptive classification was useful to translate end-of-life practice definitions across countries. A few studies compared end-of-life practice in countries with different policies, using consistent research methods. We identified no comprehensive review of end-of-life practices across different policy contexts., Conclusions: It is feasible to compare end-of-life practices in different policy contexts. A systematic review of international evidence is needed to inform public deliberations on end-of-life policies and practice., (© The Author(s) 2015 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav.)

Background: North American patients are experiencing difficulties in securing affiliations with family physicians. Centralized waiting lists are increasingly being used in Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries to improve access. In 2011, the Canadian province of Quebec introduced new financial incentives for family physicians' enrolment of orphan patients through centralized waiting lists, the Guichet d'accès aux clientèles orphelines, with higher payments for vulnerable patients. This study analyzed whether any significant changes were observed in the numbers of patient enrolments with family physicians' after the introduction of the new financial incentives. Prior to then, financial incentives had been offered for enrolment of vulnerable patients only and there were no incentives for enrolling non-vulnerable patients. After 2011, financial incentives were also offered for enrolment of non-vulnerable patients, while those for enrolment of vulnerable patients were doubled., Methods: A longitudinal quantitative analysis spanning a five-year period (2008-2013) was performed using administrative databases covering all patients enrolled with family physicians through centralized waiting lists in the province of Quebec (n = 494,697 patients). Mixed regression models for repeated-measures were used., Results: The number of patients enrolled with a family physician through centralized waiting lists more than quadrupled after the changes in financial incentives. Most of this increase involved non-vulnerable patients. After the changes, 70% of patients enrolled with a family physician through centralized waiting lists were non-vulnerable patients, most of whom had been referred to the centralized waiting lists by the physician who enrolled them, without first being registered in those lists or having to wait because of their priority level., Conclusion: Centralized waiting lists linked to financial incentives increased the number of family physicians' patient enrolments. However, although vulnerable patients were supposed to be given precedence, physicians favoured enrolment of healthier patients over those with greater health needs and higher assessed priority. These results suggest that introducing financial incentives without appropriate regulations may lead to opportunistic use of the incentive system with unintended policy consequences.

The burden of chronic disease requires a new organization of medical care and services. Enhancing collaboration among front-line care givers facilitates access to care and optimizes follow-up. As a result, a new organizational structure has been gradually deployed in Quebec since 2003. Family Medicine Groups (FMGs) use a new type of standing order, prescribing details of care. Among 52 FMGs surveyed, an exemplarygroup was identified that most successfully instituted more and higher-impact standing orders. This single case study explored the impact of standing orders used for diabetes follow-up on professional practices, physician-nurse-patient interactions and patient self-management. The data collected and analyzed were derived from more than 200 documents, 15 hours of observation in the clinic, and individual interviews of ten patients, three nurses and eight doctors. Standing ordersformalizing thejointfollow-up ofdiabetic patients both increased professional collaboration and improved patient-professional interactions. As professionals and patients achieved a better consensus, patient self-management was improved. Ultimately, for professionals, standing orders facilitate a better match between the use of their time and skills, and their aspirationsfor practice. Patients are reassured and empowered by ready access to care and their progress in self-management skills. Concrete measures, such as standing orders, modify care delivery by reinforcing professional collaboration, and facilitate patient self-care, in accordance with the Chronic Care Model (CCM).

Aim: To assess the extent to which new forms of PHC organization - Family medicine groups (FMG) and Network clinics (NC) - established in Quebec since 2003, are associated with a better experience of care than other forms of PHC organization, for patients with chronic diseases., Methods: Two surveys were conducted in 2010 in two regions of Quebec: the first among 9,180 residents and the second among 606 PHC organizations. Indices of experience of care were constructed concerning accessibility, continuity, comprehensiveness and perceived outcomes. Five categories of chronic diseases were selected. Descriptive analyses and multilevel regression analyses were conducted to compare the different forms of PHC organization., Results: Individuals with chronic diseases tend to report a better experience of care than those without chronic diseases for all dimensions except for accessibility. FMGs compare to group practices on all dimensions and NCs are associated with a poorer experience of care on most dimensions., Conclusion: Experience of care associated with FMGs and NCs is not superior to that associated with group practices.

Background. Commonly self-reported questions in population health surveys, such as "do you have a family physician?", represent one of the best-known sources of information about patients' attachment to family physicians. Is it possible to find a proxy for this information in administrative data? Objective. To identify the type of patient attachment to a family physician using administrative data. Methods. Using physician fee-for-service database and patients enrolment registries (Quebec, Canada, 2008-2010), we developed a step-by-step algorithm including three dimensions of the physician-patient relationship: patient enrolment with a physician, complete annual medical examinations (CME), and concentration of visits to a physician. Results. 68.1% of users were attached to a family physician; for 34.4% of them, attachment was defined by enrolment with a physician, for 31.5%, by CME without enrolment, and, for 34.1%, by concentration of visits to a physician without enrolment or CME. Eight types of patient attachment were described. Conclusion. When compared to findings with survey data, our measure comes out as a solid conceptual framework to identify patient attachment to a family physician in administrative databases. This measure could be of great value for physician/patient-based cohort development and impact assessment of different types of patient attachment on health services utilization.

Objective. To analyze the impact of patients' experience of care at their usual source of primary care on their choice of point of entry into cancer investigation process, time to diagnosis, and presence of metastatic cancer at time of diagnosis. Method. A questionnaire was administered to 438 patients with cancer (breast, lung, and colorectal) between 2011 and 2013 in four oncology clinics of Quebec (Canada). Multiple regression analyses (logistic and Cox models) were conducted. Results. Among patients with symptoms leading to investigation of cancer (n = 307), 47% used their usual source of primary care as the point of entry for investigation. Greater comprehensiveness of care was associated with the decision to use this source as point of entry (OR = 1.25; CI 90% = 1.06-1.46), as well as with shorter times between first symptoms and investigation (HR = 1.11; p = 0.05), while greater accessibility was associated with shorter times between investigation and diagnosis (HR = 1.13; p < 0.01).  Conclusion. Experience of care at the usual source of primary care has a slight influence on the choice of point of entry for cancer investigation and on time to diagnosis. This influence appears to be more related to patients' perceptions of the accessibility and comprehensiveness of their usual source of primary care.

Objective: To define a physician classification system based on practice settings and to analyze the service provision associated with those classifications., Design: A cross-sectional, retrospective study., Setting: Province of Quebec., Participants: All GPs in Quebec in 2002 who had been practising for at least 2 years., Main Outcome Measures: Practice setting variables were based on physician income in the different settings. Service provision was assessed using indicators related to continuity, comprehensiveness, accessibility, and productivity of services provided by the GPs. A multiple correspondence analysis with ascending hierarchical classification was conducted to construct the taxonomy of GPs based on their practice settings., Results: Our study produced 7 practice setting models. Two were essentially single-practice models. The 5 others combined several settings. Service provision varied from one model to another. Continuity was greater in the private practice model, in which older GPs were predominant, while accessibility was greater in multi-institutional practice models, in which younger GPs were more active., Conclusion: To ensure balance between continuity, accessibility, and comprehensiveness in primary care services provided by GPs, it is important to consider the service provision associated with different practice models., (Copyright© the College of Family Physicians of Canada.)

Background: Healthcare reforms initiated in the early 2000s in Québec involved the implementation of new modes of primary healthcare (PHC) delivery and the creation of Health and Social Services Centers (HSSCs) to support it. The objective of this article is to assess and explain the degree of PHC organizational change achieved following these reforms., Methods: We conducted two surveys of PHC organizations, in 2005 and 2010, in two regions of the province of Québec, Canada. From the responses to these surveys, we derived a measure of organizational change based on an index of conformity to an ideal type (ICIT). One set of explanatory variables was contextual, related to coercive, normative and mimetic influences; the other consisted of organizational variables that measured receptivity towards new PHC models. Multilevel analyses were performed to examine the relationships between ICIT change in the post-reform period and the explanatory variables., Results: Positive results were attained, as expressed by increase in the ICIT score in the post-reform period, mainly due to implementation of new types of PHC organizations (Family Medicine Groups and Network Clinics). Organizational receptivity was the main explanatory variable mediating the effect of coercive and mimetic influences. Normative influence was not a significant factor in explaining changes., Conclusion: Changes were modest at the system level but important with regard to new forms of PHC organizations. The top-down decreed reform was a determining factor in initiating change whereas local coercive and normative influences did not play a major role. The exemplar role played by certain PHC organizations through mimetic influence was more important. Receptivity of individual organizations was both a necessary condition and a mediating factor in influencing change. This supports the view that a combination of top-down and bottom-up strategy is best suited for achieving substantial changes in PHC local organization.

Introduction. Solo practices have generally been viewed as forming a homogeneous group. However, they may differ on many characteristics. The objective of this paper is to identify different forms of solo practice and to determine the extent to which they are associated with patient experience of care. Methods. Two surveys were carried out in two regions of Quebec in 2010: a telephone survey of 9180 respondents from the general population and a postal survey of 606 primary healthcare (PHC) practices. Data from the two surveys were linked through the respondent's usual source of care. A taxonomy of solo practices was constructed (n = 213), using cluster analysis techniques. Bivariate and multilevel analyses were used to determine the relationship of the taxonomy with patient experience of care. Results. Four models were derived from the taxonomy. Practices in the "resourceful networked" model contrast with those of the "resourceless isolated" model to the extent that the experience of care reported by their patients is more favorable. Conclusion. Solo practice is not a homogeneous group. The four models identified have different organizational features and their patients' experience of care also differs. Some models seem to offer a better organizational potential in the context of current reforms.

Background: Over the past decade, in the province of Quebec, Canada, the government has initiated two consecutive reforms. These have created a new type of primary healthcare - family medicine groups (FMGs) - and have established 95 geographically defined local health networks (LHNs) across the province. A key goal of these reforms was to improve collaboration among healthcare organizations. The objective of the paper is to analyze the impact of these reforms on the development of collaborations among primary healthcare practices and between these organisations and hospitals both within and outside administrative boundaries of the local health networks., Methods: We surveyed 297 primary healthcare practices in 23 LHNs in Quebec's two most populated regions (Montreal & Monteregie) in 2005 and 2010. We characterized collaborations by measuring primary healthcare practices' formal or informal arrangements among themselves or with hospitals for different activities. These collaborations were measured based on the percentage of clinics that identified at least one collaborative activity with another organization within or outside of their local health network. We created measures of collaboration for different types of primary healthcare practices: first- and second-generation FMGs, network clinics, local community services centres (CLSCs) and private medical clinics. We compared their situations in 2005 and in 2010 to observe their evolution., Results: Our results showed different patterns of evolution in inter-organizational collaboration among different types of primary healthcare practices. The local health network reform appears to have had an impact on territorializing collaborations firstly by significantly reducing collaborations outside LHNs areas for all types of primary healthcare practices, including new type of primary healthcare and CLSCs, and secondly by improving collaborations among healthcare organizations within LHNs areas for all organizations. This is with the exception of private medical clinics, where collaborations decreased both outside and within LHNs., Conclusion: Health system reforms aimed at creating geographically based networks influenced primary healthcare practices' both among themselves (horizontal collaborations) and with hospitals (vertical collaborations). There is evidence of increased collaborations within defined geographic areas, particularly among new type of primary healthcare.

Background. Primary healthcare (PHC) renewal gives rise to important challenges for policy makers, managers, and researchers in most countries. Evaluating new emerging forms of organizations is therefore of prime importance in assessing the impact of these policies. This paper presents a set of methods related to the configurational approach and an organizational taxonomy derived from our analysis. Methods. In 2005, we carried out a study on PHC in two health and social services regions of Quebec that included urban, suburban, and rural areas. An organizational survey was conducted in 473 PHC practices. We used multidimensional nonparametric statistical methods, namely, multiple correspondence and principal component analyses, and an ascending hierarchical classification method to construct a taxonomy of organizations. Results. PHC organizations were classified into five distinct models: four professional and one community. Study findings indicate that the professional integrated coordination and the community model have great potential for organizational development since they are closest to the ideal type promoted by current reforms. Conclusion. Results showed that the configurational approach is useful to assess complex phenomena such as the organization of PHC. The analysis highlights the most promising organizational models. Our study enhances our understanding of organizational change in health services organizations.

Background: Reform of primary healthcare (PHC) organisations is underway in Canada. The capacity of various types of PHC organizations to respond to populations' needs remains to be assessed. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the association of PHC affiliation with unmet needs for care., Methods: Population-based survey of 9205 randomly selected adults in two regions of Quebec, Canada. Outcomes Self-reported unmet needs for care and identification of the usual source of PHC., Results: Among eligible adults, 18% reported unmet needs for care in the last six months. Reasons reported for unmet needs were: waiting times (59% of cases); unavailability of usual doctor (42%); impossibility to obtain an appointment (36%); doctors not accepting new patients (31%). Regression models showed that unmet needs were decreasing with age and was lower among males, the least educated, and unemployed or retired. Controlling for other factors, unmet needs were higher among the poor and those with worse health status. Having a family doctor was associated with fewer unmet needs. People reporting a usual source of care in the last two-years were more likely to report unmet need for care. There were no differences in unmet needs for care across types of PHC organisations when controlling for affiliation with a family physician., Conclusion: Reform models of primary healthcare consistent with the medical home concept did not differ from other types of organisations in our study. Further research looking at primary healthcare reform models at other levels of implementation should be done.

Introduction: Accessibility and continuity of primary health care in rural Canada are inadequate, mainly because of a relative shortage of family physicians. To alleviate the uneven distribution of physicians in rural and urban regions, Quebec has implemented measures associated with 3 types of physician practices in rural areas. The objectives of our study were to describe the practices of these types of physicians in a rural area and to analyze the impact of physician distribution policies aimed at offsetting the lack of resources., Methods: Data were drawn from a medical administrative database and included information related to physicians' practices in the rural area of Beauce, Que., in 2007., Results: The practices of permanently settled physicians in rural areas differ from those of physicians who substitute for short periods. Permanently settled physicians offer mostly primary care services, whereas physicians who temporarily substitute devote much of their time to hospital-based practice., Conclusion: Physician distribution policies implemented in Quebec to compensate for the lack of medical resources in rural areas have reduced the deficit in hospital care but not in primary care.