Overview
The Patient Attachment Initiative (PAI) is a referral-based program that helps unattached patients with higher or more complex needs living in Vancouver to find a primary care provider. The PAI works with referral partners within acute, outpatient, inpatient, and specialty services. If you’re a referral partner looking for information skip to the last section on this page. If you are a patient looking for a family doctor or nurse practitioner click here. Primary Care Providers (Family Physicians and Nurse Practitioners) in Vancouver can work with PAI to match and attach patients who are vulnerable and needing continuity of care for their primary care needs. What are the benefits for Primary Care Providers working with PAI?
- Panel Maintenance – Keeping panel size consistent to meet contractual requirements
- Balanced Panel – Flexibility patient types and demographics
- Physicians Helping Physicians – Support physicians looking for their own provider by partnering with PAI and the Physician Health Program (PHP)
We need your help!
- Palliative patients
- Patients aged 65 and older
- Maternity patients
- Patients seeking providers who speak their language, especially Cantonese, Korean, and Spanish
What does the process look like for accepting providers?
Referral Received
An unattached patient is identified in the community and referred to PAI. PAI staff input referral and confirm eligibility.
Assessment & Triage
An intake assessment is completed by phone or online form. This allows clinic staff to determine care needs and preference (e.g. provider location, gender, etc.)
Match Request
An anonymized match request is sent to the most appropriate provider for the patient. This also considers provider’s current panel needs and capacity.
Acceptance Package
If the provide accepts the patient, a package is sent with the referral from and all relevant medical records to the clinic. Patients are informed to book their first appointment within 4 weeks of this referral
Health Connect Registry
The Health Connect Registry (HCR) is a project of the Ministry of Health to address the attachment need in British Columbia. The registry allows for patients to self-register for attachment and the Vancouver Division of Family Practice assists in matching these patients to primary care providers.
What does the HCR have to offer providers?
- Flexible list of patients on demand (batch matching)
- Panel maintenance
For more information including a helpful Q & A, please click here.
Which attachment stream should you choose?
This depends on your current and future panel needs. We recommend booking a registration call if you’re interested and we can go over the different options and what would suit your panel needs at this time. You can easily switch from HCR to PAI Priority stream OR accept through both.
For more information on the PAI Priority stream contact: pai@vancouverdivision.com
For more information on the HCR stream contact: vancouverhcr@vancouverdivision.com
Provincial Attachment System – Why is updating your lists important?
By updating your panels, you are helping everyone involved in primary care have a clear understanding of attachment. Ensuring your PAS is updated is critical to ensure payments reflect panel size, reduce the number of patients showing up on multiple providers panels, along with many other benefits!
The infographics below are a helpful resource to share within your clinic or colleagues to spread the word around the importance of updating your lists.
PAI Referral Partners
PAI works with referral partners from across Vancouver to attach moderate to high complex patients. We receive referrals from a variety of sources in the community, including acute, inpatient, outpatient, and specialty clinic settings. The PAI is very involved in getting patients attached who may decompensate in the community and will work with referral partners to communicate complications or concerns with patients referred.
If you are interested in becoming a referral partner to the PAI, please email pai@vancouverdivision.com and we can discuss whether the PAI is a good fit.
Click here to view a helpful resource list of specific services that PAI has created for referring partners.
