Improving Physician Accountability through Primary Care Reform in Alberta

Like other Canadian provinces and territories, Alberta has been attempting to reform primary care since the mid-1990s. Although initially these efforts were focused almost exclusively on the method of payment for physicians, since 2003, the focus of government policy has broadened to include other aspects of practice, including governance and accountability, improved continuity, the use of a team-based approach and the use of electronic information systems. Although significant progress has been made, Alberta continues to face challenges.