Assessing clinical support and inter-professional interactions among front-line primary care providers in remote communities in northern Canada: a pilot study

• Main Authors: Young, Stephanie K., Young, T. Kue
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: 2016
• Subjects: Northern Canada; Primary health care; Circumpolar medicine; Physicians > Supply and demand; Nurses > Supply and demand; Northwest Territories; Canada
• Online Access: https://era.library.ualberta.ca/items/6ef254d0-99b4-4023-b1ac-1db85f3f5347; https://doi.org/10.7939/r3-6d0k-dq64

"Primary care in remote communities in northern Canada is delivered primarily by nurses who receive clinical support from physicians in regional centres and the patient transportation system. To improve continuity, quality and access to care in remote northern communities, it is important to understand the perspectives of front-line providers and the complex challenges they face. In collaboration with the territorial government and regional health authority partners, we developed a 21-item self-administered questionnaire survey, which could be completed online. The survey was sent to 218 physicians and nurses who were employed in the Northwest Territories (NWT) at the time of the survey and were involved in sending patients out of the community and/or receiving patients. The survey also contained an open-ended question at the end seeking comments regarding primary health care." (as cited in abstract)