You are being invited to take part in a research study. Before agreeing to participate in this study, it is important that you read and understand the proposed study procedures.
SCOPE+ is a collaboration between Women's College Hospital (WCH), University Heath Network (UHN), Mount Sinai Hospital (MSH), St. Joseph's Health Centre (SJHC), Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre (SHSC), St. Michael's Hospital (SMH), Michael Garron Hospital (MGH), Scarborough Health Network (SHN), William Osler Health System, Ontario Health Central Region Home & Community Care, Canadian Mental Health Association Peel Dufferin (Brampton Etobicoke OHT), Humber River Hospital (HRH), and the TC LHIN Home & Community Care that aims to reduce utilization and improve the health care experience of complex patients. SCOPE+ provides a platform through which primary care providers (PCP) can link their patients to a range of services.
Eligible persons include community-based PCPs with practices located in the Greater Downtown Toronto area, North West Toronto, or the Brampton Etobicoke OHT catchment area.
PCPs enrolled in SCOPE+ are provided with a one-number to call service with extensions to:
1. Direct General Internal Medicine Consultations
2. TC LHIN Home and Community Care Coordination and Ontario Health Central Region Home and Community Care Coordination
3. Acute Care Nurse Navigator
4. Medical Imaging
For the evaluation of SCOPE+ we will be tracking the number, pattern and outcome of each contact made to SCOPE+. No identifying patient information will be collected. The study will use various techniques to elicit feedback and optimize the SCOPE+ platform to best meet the needs of you and your patients:
- Experience of Care Survey - one-time 5-min online survey that will help us better understand your perceptions of the health care system and your ability to care for complex patients.
- User Feedback Surveys - a 2-min survey will be emailed to you following your first 5 calls to SCOPE+ services, you will be asked about your satisfaction with the service and suggestions for improvement.
- Testing of Intervention Design - to update you on the study and provide information on new services, your office will be contacted by the SCOPE+ team using a variety of methods (e.g. email, fax, telephone) in order to find the ideal approach.
You may also be approached and asked to partake in a qualitative interview; further information and an additional consent form will be provided at this time.
There are no known risks with participating in this study.
You may or may not directly benefit from your participation in this study. This project is intended to provide additional support to you and your patients.
Any personal information collected or obtained, whether you choose to participate or not, will be kept confidential and protected to the fullest extent of the law. All personal information collected will be stored on a secure server at Women's College Hospital, and any data collected for the purposes of the research study will be stored in separate password-protected files. The study staff, the WCH Research Ethics Board, employees of sponsor or funder of study, and Health Canada may look at your personal information for purposes associated with the study. The mentioned authorized personnel may view your records only under the supervision of the Principal Investigator and will be obligated to protect your privacy and not disclose your personal information. None of your personal information will be given to anyone without your permission unless required by law. Following completion of the research study the data will be kept as long as required then destroyed as required according to WCH policy. Published studies will not reveal your identity.
Your participation in this study is completely voluntary and you may withdraw at any time. Your decision whether or not to participate in the study will not influence any future relationships with WCH or any of the participating SCOPE+ organizations.
By signing this form, you do not give up any of your legal rights against the investigators, sponsor or involved institutions for compensation, nor does this form relieve the investigators, sponsor or involved institutions of their legal and professional responsibilities. Participation in this study does not require you to sign a waiver and does not affect your legal rights or liability.
If you have any questions about the research study please contact the SCOPE+ Research Coordinator, Kyle Liang, at 416-323-6400 x5948 or
kyle.liang@wchospital.ca .
If you have any questions around the SCOPE+ Program at HRH, please contact the Director of Integrated Health Systems, Partnerships & Family Practice, Mehdi Somji, at
msomji@hrh.ca .
If you have any questions about your rights as a research participant, please contact either Melissa Sidhu, Coordinator of the WCH Research Ethics Board at 416-351-3732 x2723, or the WCH Research Ethics Board Chair, Dr. Nancy Walton, at 416-351-3732 x2325.
By clicking "I agree" below you are indicating that you are at least 18 years old, have read and understood this consent form and voluntarily consent to participate in this research study. A copy of the consent form will be sent to your practice.
* must provide value
I agree I do not agree
CPSO Number (or additional professional affiliation registration number)
Which category best describes your age?
Less than 30
30-39
40-49
50-59
60+
How many years have you been in family practice?
less than or equal to 5 years
6-10 years
11-15 years
more than 15 years
Do you have prior experience practicing in an Emergency Department?
Yes No
How many other physicians work in your practice (part/full-time)?
Which of the following appointment scheduling practices do you employ? (Check all that apply)
Please estimate the number of patients you see during a typical half-day/clinic?
Approximately how many patients are in your practice?
less than or equal to 1000
1001-2000
2001-3000
more than 3000
Do not know
When you have a patient in need, how confident do you feel about being able to manage the need?
Never
Rarely
Sometimes
Often
Always
When you have a patient in need, how confident are you that you can connect them to the required specialty services in a timely way?
Not at all confident
Somewhat confident
A little confident
Pretty confident
Extremely confident
How knowledgeable are you regarding specialty services in your community?
Not at all knowledgeable
Somewhat knowledgeable
Pretty knowledgeable
Extremely knowledgeable
When you have a patient in need, how easy/difficult is it to get a specialist appointment:
Very difficult
A little difficult
Neutral
Easy
Very easy
Please estimate the average wait time for specialist appointments for your patients using your usual referral process:
Less than or equal to 1 week
Between 1 and 2 weeks
Between 2 and 4 weeks
More than 4 weeks
Unsure
How satisfied are you with the length of wait times for appointments your patients received using your usual referral process?
Very satisfied
Somewhat satisfied
Somewhat dissatisfied
Very dissatisfied
What seems most helpful about SCOPE+?
Imagine you have a 42-year-old healthy male presenting to you with what you suspect is a deep vein thrombosis (DVT). What is your typical next course of action to confirm the diagnosis?
Send patient to the ER for urgent imaging
Fax requisition for urgent imaging
Call radiologist to arrange urgent imaging
Other
Thank you for registering for SCOPE+.
We will process your registration and email you the SCOPE+ Quick Reference Guide containing the SCOPE+ contact number within 1-2 Business Days. Thank you for your understanding and interest in SCOPE+!
*If you are registering for the Mid-East Toronto SCOPE+ (St. Michael's Hospital), please note
• Enrollment to SCOPE+ in Mid-East Toronto is on hold.
• Capacity for the Mid-East SCOPE+ program will be reassessed in the coming months. We will let you know when this changes and contact you with further information.