Transparency or Bust: An Ontario Health Team's Experience Openly Communicating Progress and Results in a Rapid Improvement Community Pilot Project

This oral paper will present a community-based transformative case study from the Cambridge North Dumfries Ontario Health Team (CND OHT), focusing on the transparent and collaborative approach to collecting and disseminating measures of progress, results and impact, and the benefits of this approach in a maturing locally-driven integrated care system. The CND OHT Community Mental Health and Addictions Clinic moved from co-design idea to doors open, in just three months. Over the course of the two-month pilot, 123 clients were served via 451 appointments, including virtual follow-up visits. This resulted in 23 emergency department diversions, redirecting appropriate mental health and addictions visits from the hospital. Of the 123 clients, 50% indicated that if the clinic did not exist, they would have gone to the emergency room, and 94% of clients felt that their immediate needs were adequately addressed by the clinic. Much of the success of the initiative was attributed to transparent and collaborative processes, rapid implementation, and the crucial involvement of patients and community members. Importantly, transparency extended beyond implementation, with detailed evaluation results and user-friendly infographics accessible on the Health Team's website, effectively communicating both the challenges and benefits of the program to the public. This commitment to openness not only facilitated a thorough understanding of the project's results and impact but also served as a valuable model for broader population health management initiatives. Attendees of this presentation will gain insights into the rationale behind transparent planning and evaluation, and will hear how this transparency can build trust and engagement in integrated care planning.