Vision Statement on Inter-Professional Care

The College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC) believes that patients must be at the centre of health care.

The CFPC has agreed to the following Vision Statement on Interprofessional Care:

1. Every person in Canada will have access to a family practice/primary care

setting that offers him or her the opportunity to have care provided by each

of the following:

A personal family doctor

and

A registered nurse and/or a nurse practitioner

• These health care professionals will work together to provide, or to ensure the provision of,
• the full spectrum of primary health and medical care services for the patients of the practice.
• Every patient will benefit by having his or her own family doctor as well as a registered nurse and/or nurse practitioner.

2. Other health professionals, including pharmacists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, dietitians, social workers, and physician or medical office assistants, might also be part of these practices.

• This vision focuses on the complementary roles of family physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners, and other health professionals, not on role substitution.
• The roles and responsibilities of each health professional who is part of a practice will be determined by the needs of the practice and the community.
• To ensure their patients’ timely access to care, health professionals should:
  a) Be linked in formal arrangements with others in their family practice/primary care setting
  b) Cultivate networks with other health professionals outside of this setting
  c) Have a clear understanding of the skills and knowledge of other professions and individuals in their family practice/primary care setting

3. In each practice setting, the health and medical services will be provided with assurance for patients that each professional will practise within:

a) The legislated scope of practice for his or her profession
b) The knowledge and skills each has personally acquired

• Overlapping scopes of practice provide opportunities for patients to benefit from the distinct strengths of individual health professionals who are part of a practice team.
• Clear understanding of scopes of practice among team members can help guide which providers will deliver services to best meet their patients’ needs by providing timely quality care. 

  4. The Canadian health care system must ensure adequate health care human resources, funding, and other resources to support this Vision.