Originally, I was so pleased to find out that our
Medical Clinic (the Haig Clinic) was part of the Primary Care Network here in Southern
Alberta.
I never thought much more about it until we became
thoroughly entrenched in the Medical System.
My first mistake was that I thought a Primary Care
System implied that each part of the system has a path, is integrated into, and
responsible to the whole.
HUH – was I wrong!!
It seems that the key objective of the Primary Care
Network is to ensure Albertans have a place to enter the System – a
front door – a family doctor . . . if you please. Theoretically, this is good . . . BUT . . . the doctors at most local clinics are not taking new patients.
Then the doctor refers . . .
and refers . . . and refers.
Communication and follow-up seem to be optional.
Any referral MUST come from the doctor; the staff sets
up the appointment with the receiving service and tells the patient when their
appointment is.
What would happen if we tried to introduce the patient
into this Primary Care Team?
The biggest element missing from the system seems to
be the patient. It seems that the more complex the situation is - the less the
patient is involved in the process: the process goes on around the patient.
How can they call it a Primary Care system if one part
of the system doesn’t know what the another piece of the system is doing – has
done – or plans to do?
