Looking Ahead: My Health Promotion Learning Journey

When I registered for this new course being offered on health promotion, I thought this would be a great opportunity to learn more about a topic that I am interested in of which I only have a general understanding. In my career I have focused on health system improvement and during that time have encountered many strategies and frameworks that were used to support transformation of the system. Part of this transformation has focused on integrated care delivery models along the care continuum.

In Ontario the most recent system transformation includes the introduction of Ontario Health Teams (OHT). OHT are “groups of providers and organizations that will be clinically and fiscally accountable for delivering a full and coordinated continuum of care to a defined population” (MOH, 2022, para.34). The OHT model is intended to “encourage providers to improve the health of an entire population, reducing disparities among different population groups” using a population health management approach (HSPN, 2017, p. 10). Population health management “strives to address health needs at all points along the continuum of health and well-being through participation of, engagement with and targeted interventions for the population” (PHA, n.d., para. 2).

The health care system is transforming in a digital era with foundational elements of the OHT’s integrated care delivery enabled by technology and supported with data. I will focus on the topic of digital health literacy, as these skills are required within the health system by all individuals including patients, caregivers and providers. To engage effectively, this requires providers, clients/patients and caregivers to be able to access, understand and use technology and information.

The pandemic brought a rapid shift in the use of digital technology in everyday care delivery with many health services moving to include virtual care options. Care delivery has remained this way over the past 2 years with an estimate in our region of approximately 60% of care occurring in person and 40% remaining supported by technology.

Some elements of digital care delivery have been beneficial. However, during this time I observed how reliance on technology resulted in inequity in access to care. In one of the remote care monitoring programs, the initiative funder desired the use of a specific app. However not all individuals in our community were able to access a device that could operate an app and/or did not have reliable access to internet. Use of the telephone as the virtual care connection was initially not going to be counted as a remote care monitoring visit. It took several discussions to reach agreement with the funder that telephone connection was a virtual care service. This illustrated the importance of understanding the community you serve and the inequities that can be introduced with technology.

I will look at digital literacy as part of the health promotion journey and seek to understand how to support digital literacy for all people within the population we serve with a specific focus on older adults. My journey will explore available literature and opinions on this topic including solutions that already exist to enhance digital literacy with patients, caregiver and providers.

The challenge will be narrowing the focus as I have uncovered an expansive amount of information on this topic from my initial searches. In addition, I will be seeking examples for any solutions that has been co-designed with patients, caregivers and providers as this is my preferred approach to health improvement and wish to use this in the health promotion approach.

References

Cronin, S., Tessier, L., James, K.A., & Wodchis, W.P. (2021). Approaches to Population Health Management: Informing Ontario's’ health system transformation.Health System Performance Network. HSPN_Population_Health_Management_Feb2021

Ontario Ministry of Health (MOH) (2022). Ontario Health Teams. https://health.gov.on.ca/en/pro/programs/connectedcare/oht/

Population Health Alliance (n.d.) PHA Framework: PHM Defined. https://populationhealthalliance.org/research/understanding-population-health/

World Health Organization (2022) Health promotion: Overview. https://www.who.int/health-topics/health-promotion#tab=tab_1