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Regular cervical screening can largely prevent the development of cervical cancer and innovative methods are needed to better engage people in screening. In Ontario, Canada, South Asian women have some of the lowest rates of screening in the province. In this study, we used concept mapping to engage two stakeholder groups—South Asian service users and service providers—to identify and prioritize points of intervention to encourage the uptake of cervical screening. After participants brainstormed a master list of statements, 45 participants rated the statements based off 'importance' and 'ease to address' in relation to encouraging cervical screening. A bivariate plot (X-Y graph) that shows the average rating values for each statement across the two rating variables (a 'go-zone' display) was produced to display priorities for implementation. Statements that were considered high priority to address reflected issues around education and awareness including understanding and communication related to cervical screening and preventative care, as well as the need for trusted sources of information. Statements that were considered high priority but challenging to implement were centered around fear, stigma, discomfort, family and personal priorities. This study highlighted that stigma, norms and social relations that impact the uptake of screening must be addressed in order for education and awareness raising to be effective and to move people from conviction around screening to action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Primary care physicians play an important role in care coordination, including initiating referrals to community resources. Yet, it is unclear how awareness and use of community resources vary between physicians practising with and without an extended healthcare team. We conducted a cross-sectional survey of primary care physicians practising in Toronto, Canada, to compare awareness and use of community services between physicians practising in team- and non-team-based practice models. Team-based models included Community Health Centres and Family Health Teams - settings in which the government provides funding for the practice to hire non-physician health professionals, such as social workers, pharmacists, nurse practitioners, registered nurses and others. The survey was mailed to physicians, and reminders were done by phone, fax and e-mail. We used logistic regression to compare awareness between physicians in team-based (N = 89) and non-team-based (N = 138) models after controlling for confounders. We found that fewer than half of the physicians were aware of five of eight centralized intake services (e.g., ConnexOntario, Telehomecare). For most services, team-based physicians had at least twice the odds of being aware of the service compared to non-team-based physicians. Our findings suggest that patients in team-based practices may be doubly advantaged, with access to non-physician health professionals within the practice as well as to physicians who are more aware of community resources., (Copyright © 2020 Longwoods Publishing.)

Objective: To understand patients' perspectives on responding to a question about their race and ethnicity in a primary care setting., Design: Qualitative study using semistructured individual interviews conducted between May and July 2016., Setting: An academic family health team in Toronto, Ont, where collection of sociodemographic data has been routine since 2013., Participants: Twenty-seven patients from 5 of the 6 clinic sites of the family health team, ranging in age, sex, educational background, and immigration status., Methods: Semistructured interviews were conducted with patients who completed a sociodemographic questionnaire after registration for their medical appointment. Patients were asked whether responding to the question was difficult or uncomfortable, how they interpreted the term race and ethnicity , and what response options they considered. Interviews were audiorecorded, transcribed, and coded iteratively., Main Findings: Patients did not report discomfort with responding to a question about race and ethnicity in their family doctor's office. Although many patients considered the question straightforward, some patients reported different interpretations of the question. For example, some thought the question about race and ethnicity related to parental origin or ancestry, whereas others considered the question to be about personal place of birth or upbringing. Many patients appreciated being able to select from a variety of specific response options, but this also posed a difficulty for patients who could not easily find an option that reflected their identity. Patients with mixed heritage experienced the most challenges selecting a response., Conclusion: Patients attending a primary care clinic were not uncomfortable responding to a question about race and ethnicity. However, patients had different interpretations of what was being asked. Future research should explore perspectives of patients in other primary care settings and test different methods for collecting data about their race and ethnicity., (Copyright© the College of Family Physicians of Canada.)