PS Suite EMR Guide for Reducing the Impact of Financial Strain

Background

Income is one of the most powerful determinants of health^1,2, and intervening can have a profound impact. Individuals living with financial strain typically have worse health outcomes³. To help individuals & families stay healthy, it is important to understand a patient’s social circumstances. In 2014, 3 million Canadians (8.8%) lived in poverty⁴. In 2015, 149,700 Albertan children (15.6%) lived in poverty⁴. At risk people include single people aged 45 to 64, single parents, recent immigrants, Indigenous people, and people with disabilities⁵. It can be challenging to address the health impacts of living with financial strain, both for health providers and communities. In 2015, the College of Family Physicians of Canada recommended educating patients about available income supports as it can influence modifiable risk factors such as healthy eating and being active⁶. Reducing the Impact of Financial Strain (RIFS): A Population and Public Health Partnership with Primary Care to Reduce the Risk of Cancer and Chronic Disease project, is a groundbreaking collaboration that will support primary care screening for, and responding to, financial concerns among patients; strengthening linkages to community services; and building capacity to address gaps⁷.

This EMR guide will provide recommendations about how to utilize the PS Suite EMR to coordinate care management for people who are experiencing financial strain.  These actions are important steps on the journey of creating a patient medical home.  

There are additional options to explore within the features and functionality of the PS Suite EMR to accomplish the recommended steps outlined in this section of the guide.

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References

¹ Link BG, Phelan J. Social conditions as fundamental causes of disease. J Health Soc Behav 1995:80–94
² Adler NE, Ostrove JM. Socioeconomic status and health: What we know and what we don’t. Ann N Y Acad Sci 1999;896(1):3–15
³ https://www.cfpc.ca/uploadedFiles/CPD/_PDFs/Poverty_flowAB%202016%20Oct%2028.pdf
⁴ Statistics Canada. (2017). Characteristics of families, before-tax and after-tax low income status (based on census family low income measures, LIM, by family type and family type composition, annual (number unless otherwise noted). CANSIM Table 111-0015.
⁵ http://vibrantcalgary.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/PCosts_2_Investing_In_Albertans_web.pdf
⁶ https://www.albertahealthservices.ca/assets/about/scn/ahs-scn-ppih-pph-project-summary-rifs.pdf
⁷  https://together4health.albertahealthservices.ca/FinancialWellness