VON partners to develop patient-centred care micro-credential
A partnership between VON, McMaster University and Greater Hamilton Health Network (GHHN) has resulted in the development of a new people-centred care micro-credential that helps healthcare providers to build competencies needed to engage patients, clients and caregivers.
“During COVID times, the Government of Ontario offered universities an opportunity to create micro-credentials to upskill the workforce,” explains Arshia Ali, VON Director, Client and Family Engagement. “McMaster University realized the importance of upskilling home and community care staff in patient engagement.”
The university submitted a proposal to the Government and received funding. VON and GHHN were community partners in the development of the “Engagement and Partnering for People-Centred Care” micro-credential with McMaster University.
The course was piloted within the GHHN and VON. Ten VON staff across Ontario and Nova Scotia were offered an honorarium for completing the course and its evaluation at their own pace, from the fall of 2023 to the spring of 2024.
As co-chair of VON’s People-Centred Care Staff Champions Network, Aleena Halliwushka, Director, Home and Community Care, Ontario East Region, participated in the course and also helped to determine how the course should be offered across the organization, so that various roles, sectors and job descriptions were represented.
“The course covered some of the basics, and also gave resources and tools that help with engagement. It started by defining client and family engagement—the action of engaging—versus people-centred care, which is a philosophy and an overarching theme,” Aleena says. “It also set the context for which political bodies in Ontario are advocating or mandating engagement and people-centred care.”
Delivered as a combination of reading, assignments, virtual meets and discussion boards, the course increases understanding of relevant history and legislation and provides learners with an overview of the fundamentals of patient engagement and partnering.
The micro-credential is now available for a small fee to individuals involved in planning, delivering or managing patient, client and caregiver engagement in Ontario’s health and social services sectors.
Through the Central Program of Supports for Ontario Health Teams (OHTs), one learner from each OHT will also be eligible to participate in the micro-credential at no cost.
