“When was the last time your family doctor came over to your house and had tea and really understood what was important to you?” says David Price, chair of family medicine.
“Family doctors just don’t have that kind of time, but it’s great to have that kind of information from our patients and that’s what the volunteers provide.”
The first trial of Health TAPESTRY took place in Hamilton, with promising results: older adults who participated in the program visited their primary care team more and went to the hospital less. They also spent more time walking.
In 2017, the program expanded into six Ontario communities: Sault Ste. Marie, Orangeville, Windsor, Hamilton, Niagara-on-the-Lake, and Harrow. The goal of this phase was to test whether the Health TAPESTRY approach could be adapted to other communities. This trial wrapped up in 2020 and results are forthcoming.
“We know that the health care team is critical to the health of the population, Health TAPESTRY really tries to leverage and innovate within that model,” says Dee Mangin, professor of family medicine.
“We need to stop thinking about aging as a disease and start thinking about it as a success in Canada,” Oliver says, “by allowing adults to be in charge of their own care, when their care is delivered, where it is delivered, and how it is delivered.”
Health TAPESTRY is one of several initiatives within the newly launched David Braley Primary Care Research Collaborative.