Primary Care Asthma Program (PCAP)

 

PCAP Overview


Welcome to this site, which is intended to support health care professionals across the province who are part of - or interested in becoming part of - the Primary Care Asthma Program. The site provides relevant resources for your use, an interactive forum for knowledge sharing and shows you ways in which to easily start up your own PCAP program site.

Background

 

In 2002, Ontario’s Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (MoHLTC) announced 13 initiatives as part of "Ontario’s Asthma Plan of Action", the result of recommendations made by The Lung Association’s Asthma Advisory Committee and its three working groups.

The Primary Care Asthma Care Pilot Project (PCAPP) was launched in 2002 in eight primary care sites across the province as part of the Phase II implementation of Ontario's Asthma Plan of Action.

To support best practice for primary care-based asthma, several tools based on the Canadian Asthma Consensus Guidelines were developed including:

  • an asthma care map for primary care providers, developed by the Ontario Thoracic Society (OTS) in collaboration with the PCAPP Design Task Force members
  • a flow chart
  • action plan
  • and program standards

In April 2006, the PCAPP Advisory Group endorsed a recommendation to change the status from Pilot Project to Primary Care Asthma Program (PCAP). The Ministry provides ongoing funding to sustain the program, thereby continuing to support an evidence-based approach to asthma care in primary care sites in the province of Ontario.

A PCAP Provincial Coordinator as well as its PCAP Advisory Committee oversees PCAP.

Family Health Teams and PCAP

 

This is a PowerPoint presentation by Nancy Garvey, MoHLTC, (February 2007) which describes the PCAP program and how it could integrate with the Family Health Team model of care. It is an introduction to members and leaders of Family Health Teams to the Primary Care Asthma Program.

Training Table Requirements

 

This table outlines the training required at each site to ensure proper implementation of the PCAP program and coordinates it with the appropriate target audiences. Some of the training items are:

  • Orientation to PCAP
  • How to use the PCAP tools
  • The Canadian Asthma Consensus Guidelines
  • PCAP Program Standards, and;
  • Provider Education Workshops on Asthma and Spirometry

PCAP Sites

 

The original PCAPP sites were:

  • Gizhewaadiziwin Access Centre, Fort Francis
  • Group Health Centre, Sault Ste Marie
  • North Lanark County
  • Rural Kingston Primary Care Network
  • South Riverdale Community Health Centre
  • Somerset West
  • Stonegate Community Health Centre, and;
  • North Hamilton Community Health Centre

The number of PCAP sites has increased to include:

  • the Asthma Centre (London)
  • North Western Ontario Asthma Clinic (Thunder Bay)
  • Royal Victoria Hospital (Barrie)
  • Asthma Group Research Initiative Inc.(Windsor)
  • Firestone Institute for Respiratory Health (Hamilton)

Each PCAP site has a site coordinator and an asthma educator.