Abstract Themes

Primary care is at the heart of a much larger ecosystem — connected to hospitals, public health, home care, long-term care, and more.

This theme invites abstracts that explore how primary care can lead, partner, and evolve within these broader networks.

We’re looking for honest accounts of integration — the breakthroughs and the barriers — as well as bold ideas for the future.

What should the next version of the “primary care home” look like?

How can we configure teams — their roles, scopes, and relationships — to improve attachment, access, continuity, and quality?

What care models or structural shifts are helping us get there?

Whether you're testing a new model or proposing one, we want to hear how you're helping the constellation align — and how we can reimagine the system together.

Governance is more than bylaws — it’s about power, trust, and the ability to make decisions that reflect shared purpose. This theme invites abstracts that expose and explore the real tensions within governance structures across primary care — including conflicts of interest, unclear accountabilities, and systems that weren’t built for team-based care.

If we want a strong system, we need to talk honestly about where the cracks are — and how we fix them

EXAMPLES

We’re asking contributors to bring forward examples, models, and reflections that help move us toward governance that is values-driven, legally sound (hello ONCA), and future-ready.

How do you handle governance across professions, partners, or organizations?

What needs to change in how teams participate in Ontario Health Teams, primary care networks, or complex business arrangements?

It’s time to bring QI back to life — not just as a reporting requirement, but as a catalyst for change. This theme invites abstracts that show how quality improvement and data can move beyond dashboards and audits to fuel real transformation in primary care.

Whether you’re leading a pilot, scaling a breakthrough, or rethinking what QI can be, show us how your work is moving primary care forward — and helping others do the same.

EXAMPLES

•Practical examples of clinical or operational QI that drive meaningful change

Strategies to scale and spread QI innovations across teams, regions, or systems

Ways primary care teams are contributing to QI research and shaping broader decisions

Tools, infrastructure, and partnerships that support continuous learning

Approaches that build QI culture, capability, and accountability — not just compliance

We’re past the point of debating the need for digital integration across the health system. But how are we making it work well? This theme is about digital solutions that actually improve care. From virtual triage and patient portals to team communication platforms and EMR innovations, we want examples where technology is supporting better, more human-centred care.

How do we build teams that thrive — not just function?
This theme focuses on what makes team-based care sustainable in the real world: culture, trust, and smart systems. It invites abstracts from teams who are shaping supportive workplaces, investing in wellness, and tackling recruitment and retention with intention. It's about the human and operational side of team success.

We welcome submissions on:

• Strategies to reduce burnout and support team resilience

• Onboarding and mentorship that build confidence and connection

• Inclusive team cultures and psychological safety

• Retention and recruitment strategies in primary care

• Workflow design, governance, and the logistics of collaboration

How do we train for the care we want to deliver?
This theme is for educators, facilitators, coaches, and innovators building the foundation for excellent team-based care. It focuses on educational strategies that prepare people to work better together—from formal interprofessional education to coaching models, academic partnerships, and hands-on learning for teams in training or transition.

We welcome submissions on:

• Interprofessional education (IPE) models for primary care

• Coaching and facilitation techniques for team development

• Practice-based learning units and academic partnerships

• Simulation, role-play, and experiential learning for collaboration

• Training programs that embed equity, humility, and shared leadership

Caregivers as Partners, Not Passengers

•Caregivers are often invisible in the system — even though they’re keeping it afloat. This theme is for abstracts focused on caregiver inclusion, partnership, and support. How are you co-designing with caregivers? Supporting their mental health? Acknowledging their expertise? Tell us how you’re changing the culture of care.

Mental Health & Addictions: Embedded, Integrated, Effective

•Access to mental health and addictions support is a top priority for patients and caregivers — and primary care is often the first (and sometimes only) place people turn. We want submissions that show how your team is delivering or integrating MH&A care: new roles, co-location, stepped care, trauma-informed practice, and beyond.

Beyond the Exam Room: Addressing Social Determinants of Health

•Health starts long before someone walks into a clinic. This theme invites stories of primary care teams addressing housing, food insecurity, racism, poverty, education, and more — in practical, actionable ways. From screening and referral models to structural interventions, bring us your work that tackles the root causes of health inequity.

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Wild Card: Topic of your choice so long as it speaks to how primary care approaches comprehensive care of the whole person and address health inequities