Primary Care Provider Commitment in Canadian and International Long-Term Care Homes: A Comparative Policy Analysis

To compare existing Canadian and international models of primary care provider (PCP) commitment in long-term care (LTC) home settings.

A comparative policy analysis.

LTC home policies or standards in all 13 Canadian provinces and territories and 15 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries with above-average LTC spending as a share of national gross domestic product (Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, France, Belgium, Finland, United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, Iceland, United States, New Zealand, and Austria).

This study employed a qualitative case study methodology and involved searching and reviewing documents in the peer-reviewed and gray literature. The focus was international policy documents, government reports, scholarly works, and other official ministerial or jurisdictional documents. Data were extracted and categorized according to the model of care, service provision, and the financing and remuneration of PCP services.

The structured search identified 77 relevant documents for analysis. There was a paucity of evidence across all dimensions of PCP commitment for all Canadian provinces and territories. A similar lack of comprehensive information was found for all other countries included in the study, apart from the United States.

There is a scarcity of information concerning models of PCP commitment in Canada and globally, potentially resulting in inconsistencies in how care is delivered, funded, and managed in LTC home settings. This underscores the necessity of consensus-building studies to establish a definition of PCP commitment to ensure the medical needs of LTC residents and their families are met through well-supported and effectively managed PCP services.