Primary Care

Approximately 90% of Ontario residents visit a primary care clinic each year,
and primary care is the first point of contact most people have with the healthcare system.

 

 

Despite the many known health risks associated with smoking, clinicians have not been intervening with smokers at optimal rates. Statistics show that, historically, healthcare professionals have been better at asking and advising (40%-57%) than at intervening (less than 20%) with patients about smoking. Time constraints, the complexity of the intervention, and lack of practice supports in primary care settings were commonly cited reasons for this trend.

 

The Ottawa Model for Smoking Cessation in Primary Care addresses this particular gap in health services.

 

Its easy-to-use practice tools, adaptability, and emphasis on interdisciplinary collaboration permit even busy, fast-paced primary care clinics to adopt the program without any noticeable impact on daily flow. With the help of the right tools and simple, systematic changes in the way clinicians interact with smokers, more patients can be helped to quit smoking and the overall health of communities can be improved.

 

 

BECOME AN OMSC IN PRIMARY CARE PARTNER SITE

 

Is your primary care clinic interested in implementing a systematic approach of identifying and intervening with smokers?

THE OMSC IN PRIMARY CARE:
ONTARIO EXPANSION PROGRAM 2010-2013

The University of Ottawa Heart Institute (UOHI), the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario (HSFO), and Pfizer Canada Inc. are collaborating to expand the OMSC in Primary Care to thirty primary care clinics in Ontario over a three-year period.

We are currently accepting application submissions from primary care sites.  If you would like to learn more about our program, click on the links below.

>>>>   OVERVIEW OF OMSC IN PRIMARY CARE - DOWNLOAD

>>>>   APPLICATION FORM - DOWNLOAD

Who Should Apply?

The initial priority areas for expansion for year 1 will be Family Health Teams and medium to large group practices in Ottawa and the surrounding region (also known as the Champlain LHIN and South East LHIN) as well as sites partnered with the Heart and Stroke Foundation’s Hypertension Management Program. 

Other clinics who are interested in implementing the OMSC at their site may also submit an application.  Based on demand, these sites will be accommodated either in the current phase or in future phases of the program rollout. 

For a more detailed list of criteria, please consult our Application Form.

If you would like to express your interest in the program, please complete the online application form or contact us at scprimarycare@ottawaheart.ca. All submissions will automatically be considered for the current phase of expansion.