Abstract

The GP Services Committee (GPSC) is a joint Ministry of Health – BC Medical Association committee with the mandate of improving Primary Care in British Columbia. The Practice Support Program (PSP) was developed to encourage and support Family Physicians to undertake QI initiatives.

While the initial modules targeted family practice, in December 2010, the PSP expanded to a broader program designed to integrate Family Practice, Palliative Care, Specialty Care and Home and Community Care around improving the provision of end-of-life services for patients and their families. Two major components of this module are:

• (1) Advance Care Planning using the ‘My Voice’ tool developed by BC Fraser Health Authority

• (2) Foundational concepts for identification, assessment and planning taken from the UK Gold Standards Framework.

Provincial legislation on ‘Advance Directives’ is to be implemented in BC later in 2011. Family physicians, specialists, their staff and front line health care providers are being trained and supported by Regional Support Teams to facilitate colleagues undertaking the End-of-Life PSP module across BC. The goal is to improve the use of ACP, communications, collaboration of care provided by the full healthcare.

Tools have been developed to assist family physicians in shifting to a palliative approach to care and increase their comfort in undertaking advanced care planning with patients identified on their registry. This poster board will highlight both the PSP process as it promotes Advance Care Planning in BC as well as demonstrate some of the electronic tools that have been developed to support End-of-Life Care.