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Calgary Herald

Opinion: Province needs to make realistic investments in team-based primary health care

The Alberta government made improving access to primary care health services a priority in its health system reforms. Yet, the $644 million it announced in this year's budget to connect every Albertan to a primary care team and improve access to front-line health services falls short of the funding necessary to achieve this. Article content Article content Family doctors cannot continue to deliver care without a well-resourced and supported team. Refocusing the system around team-based care — in which patients have timely access to family doctors, nurse practitioners and other health-care professionals — is a critical, long-term project. The government must be clear-sighted about the investments needed to build a system that delivers for all Albertans. Article content Article content A recent analysis by the Alberta College of Family Physicians with input from experts shows that, realistically, the government needs to invest between $3.2 billion and $6.8 billion annually — between $673 and $1,417 per Albertan — to fully fund team-based primary care. Article content Article content It sounds like a hefty price tag until you compare it to how much is already being spent. Our analysis indicates that the government is already spending approximately $3 billion a year on primary care, but doing so in a fragmented way that is neither delivering optimal care nor offering financial efficiency. Article content Our model shows that making sufficient investments in primary care will result in a return on investment of more than $3 billion from savings connected to reduced emergency room and urgent care visits, and fewer unnecessary trips to specialists. This investment will also improve access for all Albertans to the right health care at the right time, decrease effects on the acute care system and address health workforce challenges. Article content Article content An aging population and patients with increasingly complex needs are increasing family doctors' workloads and straining their ability to provide comprehensive care by themselves. The administrative burdens of running their practice add to their challenges. Article content These issues are compounded by a growing population and a shortage of family physicians, due to factors such as retirement, doctors opting to work in other areas and fewer medical students choosing family medicine, which has left more than 650,000 Albertans without a primary care provider. Article content Properly resourced and developed team-based primary care will ensure that all Albertans have a medical home where they can access services when they need them, reducing lengthy wait times for appointments, and the overcrowding and costs of avoidable emergency department care and hospital admission.