An interprofessional collaborative practice model: primary-care clinical associates at the family practice setting

A persistent physician shortage challenges the ability of our healthcare system to meet the growing health needs of our aging population. Health system redesign must maximize the efficient use of available human resources. The Alberta Westview Primary Care Network (WPCN) introduced the Primary Care Clinical Associate (CA) program in 2005. This interprofessional collaborative practice model recruits nonphysician health professionals from various disciplines as autonomous, independent practitioners. They are associates of the family physician and use their full scope of practice to jointly care for a panel of patients in family practice settings. Three years after its inception, the CA program has grown steadily from two initial participating family practices to its current implementation in six of seven WPCN clinics. The present direction of Canadian primary healthcare reform is towards team approaches. Accordingly, the CA program has wide applicability provincially across Canada. The objective of this article is to describe in detail the design of the WPCN CA program including its conceptual framework and operational strategies and to share program implementation learning. This knowledge transfer will enable replication of the WPCN CA model, where appropriate, in other jurisdictions.