MAAP is focused on accessibility and impact on patient care outcomes to create evidence based policy development and evaluation.
The Models and Access Atlas of Primary Care Study (MAAP) is creating a database (atlas) of:
- Family physicians and nurse practitioners (NP)
- Access to services
- Descriptions of models of care
- Health care provider characteristics
- Linking the atlas to administrative health databases to see patient outcomes
Understanding primary care
Models and Access Atlas of Primary care (MAAP) research began in Nova Scotia under the leadership of Prof. Emily Gard Marshall; and now has data from NS, PEI, NL, and BC. The MAAP studies address knowledge gaps on how primary care practices are structured, what accessibility and comprehensiveness are like for patients, and the impact on patient care outcomes. These findings are necessary for evidence-based policy development and evaluation.
The vast majority of health care in Canada is community based primary health care (CBPHC) provided by family physicians (FP) and nurse practitioners (NP).With an aging population and increasing multi-morbidity, CBPHC is expected to provide timely comprehensive care. Identifying gaps and opportunities for innovations (e.g., collaborative care models) and studying their impacts are key to achieving the ‘quadruple aim’ of:
- Improved patient experience
- Quality of life and population health
- Reducing care costs
- Improve work life of providers
