What is a Family Health Team

Family Health Teams are patient centred and provide access to a number of primary health care services from a variety of team members, including your family doctor.

For example:

• Your family doctor will continue to see you during regular office hours.

• You will have access to other health care professionals within that Family Health Team, such as nurse practitioners, nurses, dietitians and social workers.

• You will have access to a Family Health Team doctor during extended evening and weekend hours for urgent problems.

• If you see another doctor in your Family Health Team for treatment, your own doctor will receive documentation about the nature of your problem, so that he or she will always be up-to-date about your medical condition.

• If you need assistance after-hours, you will be able to telephone the Family Health Team Telephone Health Advisory Service where a registered nurse will provide advice about your urgent health care concerns.

• With your permission, your doctor will receive a written summary of your call the next day, so that your doctor is informed of the nature of the problem and the advice you received.

• Family Health Teams are able to take advantage of specially funded information technology to organize your health information and share it securely with other health professionals.

• Family Health Teams are organized to offer you timely access to high quality primary care. Research shows that this access results in you being healthier, longer.

• Family Health Teams offer a variety of inter-professional programs in chronic disease management, disease prevention and health promotion.