PRIMARY CARE PEDIATRICS
Definition
Primary health provided by physicians must be accessible and cost efficient, first contact, continuous, comprehensive, and coordinated to meet the health needs of the individual and the family being served.
PEDIATRIC PRIMARY HEALTH CARE
Pediatric primary health care encompasses health supervision and anticipatory guidance. This includes:
- monitoring physical and psychosocial growth and development
- age appropriate screening
- diagnosis and treatment of acute and chronic disorders
- management of serious and sometimes life threatening illness and when appropriate referral of more complex conditions to sub-specialists
- provision of first contact care and coordinated management of health problems requiring multiple professional services
HOW DO PEDIATRICIANS DELIVER PRIMARY HEALTH CARE FOR CHILDREN
Pediatric primary healthcare for children and adolescents is family oriented and incorporates community resources and strengths, needs and risk factors, and sociocultural sensitivities into strategies for care delivery and clinical practice. Pediatric primary health care is best delivered within the context of a `medical home' where comprehensive, continuously accessible and cost efficient care is available and delivered or supervised by qualified healthcare specialists.
Pediatricians deliver excellent healthcare to children because of their training which includes 4 years of medical school education plus an additional four more years of intensive training devoted solely and with total professional commitment to all aspects of medical care for children and adolescents.
THE PRIMARY CARE PEDIATRICIANS OF ONTARIO HAVE ONE MAIN MISSION:
HEALTHCARE DELIVERY OF THE HIGHEST ORDER TO CHILDREN
The main goals of the Primary Care Pediatricians in providing such excellent healthcare to children are to:
- Advocate for all issues relating to health and welfare
- Provide continuing education and training to all people who give care to children
- Establish gold standards for pediatric care and practice
- Promote the interests of pediatricians as the primary health care providers for children
PRIMARY CARE PEDIATRICIANS AS A PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATION
Primary Care Pediatricians would promote healthcare for children as follows:
- Endorse high level training for physicians taking care of children
- Maintain a high standard of pediatric care
- Promote anticipatory guidance
- Promote office and community based research
- Promote cost efficient healthcare to children and youth
- Promote the survival of primary care pediatrics
- Promote strong ties with University based hospitals
- Educate the public on the apporpriate use of the medical system
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