Research show progress in primary care delivery slow, incremental, fragmented

Despite efforts and investments, the primary care system isn’t meeting the standards of a high-performing system. The University of Toronto finds between 2012 and 2021, the most significant changes in primary care in the provinces and territories included the adoption of EMRs, investments in quality improvement training and support and the development of interprofessional teams. Progress was more limited in implementing primary care governance mechanisms, system coordination, patient enrollment and payment models. The rate of change was slowest for patient engagement, leadership development, performance measurement, research capacity and systematic evaluation of innovation. Given that each of the 13 jurisdictions has its own healthcare agenda, progress tended to be piecemeal. Researchers conclude primary care transformation requires a national strategy and performance measurement framework, accompanied by targeted funding investments and strong data infrastructure for performance measurement.