How a WhatsApp group became a lifeline for Mississauga doctors

The Mississauga Health Primary Care Network (PCN), the largest PCN in the province, is creating value for its 700 physicians and their patients through a WhatsApp community that members can use to ask a question, seek advice about where to send a patient or how to bill for a procedure.All 58 Ontario Health Teams (OHT) are required to have a primary care network to collectively influence and improve the delivery and coordination of care for patients in the city or region they serve. PCNs are at different stages of evolution. Some like the Mississauga PCN are well established. Others are just getting off the ground.According to Mississauga Health PCN lead Dr. Sohal Goyal, the importance of offering value to physicians and patients is key to the success of a PCN. “If we don’t do things that bring practitioners value, that helps them with their practice and helps them take care of their patients, they’re not going to join us on our journey.”The WhatsApp group was established a little more than a year ago and has grown to 155 participants.“We had one doctor post about a patient who speaks a certain language,” recalled Dr. Goyal. “The doctor wanted to know if there were any colleagues who spoke the same language. One doctor put up his hand and said his practice was full but agreed to take on the patient.“There was some trepidation about starting it because we were concerned that someone could post something that would be inappropriate or could offend someone, but that hasn’t been the case at all,” said Dr. Goyal.“It has worked out well because you could be a solo practitioner with a question and not know who to reach out to. By participating in the WhatsApp group, you can post your question and someone will get back to you in five minutes. Otherwise, a doctor would have to spend time digging for that information.“You can say, ‘I have a patient with this medical issue, and I don’t know what to do. Can somebody give me some advice?’ Or ‘I need to refer my patient to a specialist. Is there someone you know who’s accepting patients?’”Read: Canada Health Infoway to cover first-year fees for 10,000 AI scribe users in primary care starting in MayThere may be 20 to 30 posts on a busy day, so it’s not a disruption, according to Pragina Sivarajah, a primary care engagement specialist, who is paid by the OHT to provide administrative support for the PCN. “If doctors are busy and don’t want to be disturbed, they can always mute their phone, so it’s not constantly pinging,” she said.Dr. Goyal is especially engaged in the WhatsApp group because of this role as PCN lead, admitting that he checks it out “in the morning, at night and when I have 30 seconds between patients because these are colleagues reaching out with a question, and if I can help, I’ll definitely get back to them.” The Mississauga Health PCN uses other communication channels, including emails, newsletters, a website and a social media presence on Facebook and LinkedIn to engage with primary care providers.The WhatsApp community is just one of several initiatives the PCN uses to bring value to primary care providers. The PCN also brings family doctors and specialists together to make connections.“For example, we recently held an event that was hosted by a cardiology practice and attended by 20 family doctors,” said Dr. Goyal. “We also had an event with a gastroenterology group. It’s a great way to put a face to a name because family physicians will often refer patients to a specialist they’ve never met.”Once a month, the Mississauga PCN also organizes a brief 15-to-20-minute webinar with guest speakers on topics ranging from measles to AI scribes.The PCN has purchased a number of licences it offers members to earn CME credits and negotiated a free three-month trial of an AI scribe application.“A primary care network is something an advanced healthcare system should have for physicians and nurse practitioners to connect with each other so together we can help our patients because, ultimately, that’s the goal,” said Dr. Goyal.“We don’t want our patients on a wait list for surgery. We don’t want them waiting 10 hours in the emergency department. There’s a moral injury associated with not being able to provide our patients with the quality of care they deserve. Having an effective PCN is one way we can decrease burnout and barriers to care.”

How a WhatsApp group became a lifeline for Mississauga doctors

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