Co-Designing the Future of Primary Health Care June 5-6, 2024 Sheraton Parkway Toronto North Hotel & Suites

#Our Learning Session Call for Proposals is now closed. Thank you all for your submissions. We will strive to advise all applicants of their status by April 1. 

Primary health care is the foundation of our health system. How can we ensure that this foundation is future-ready? How can we build it strong enough to withstand new challenges and nimble enough to welcome future opportunities? How can we ensure that the future of primary health care is inclusive, equitable, person-centred, and grounded in community?  

The Alliance’s 2024 Conference theme, Co-Designing the Future of Primary Health Care, is a declaration of our commitment to building this foundation together. It’s a call to look with clear eyes at the challenges and opportunities of the present, learn from the lessons of the past, and work bravely together as we prepare for what lies ahead. For two days, we will consider issues such as the impacts of climate change on the health of equity-deserving communities, the promises and risks of artificial intelligence in health care planning and delivery, the importance of place and space to our health and well-being, ongoing sociodemographic and socioeconomic shifts, and the growing role of community in integrated health systems.

In practical terms, this means we’ll dig into the findings of current research, take lessons from practices and policies already in place, and hear from those who are plotting the course ahead. We are accepting proposals for workshops, posters, and spotlight sessions based on practical and research-informed knowledge. 

#⚠️ The submission period ended on February 5, 2024 at 9AM EST

View the abstract submission form/questions here.

The Alliance encourages proposals from across not only the community and primary health care sectors, but also from academia, policy and others working across the health and social service continuum. Those submitting proposals will be informed of acceptance on or after April 1, 2024.

#Conference Priority Topics

The Alliance invites proposals of concurrent sessions and posters that showcase work on various topics, including (but not limited to):

  • Whole-of-community approaches to health and wellbeing.
  • Tailoring primary health care for the needs of rural, remote, and northern communities.
  • Advancing meaningful, interprofessional collaboration within primary health care teams
  • Advancing integration of clinical and social care
  • Partnering across sectors to build resilient health systems
  • Going upstream: Supporting the social and structural determinants of health
  • Digital equity & equitable approaches to virtual care
  • Data collection, governance, sovereignty and stewardship
  • Privacy & security / cyber security
  • Building capacity for community governance
  • Partnering with clients and communities
  • Indigenous health in Indigenous hands

#Criteria for proposals

Reviewers will use the following criteria to evaluate proposals.

  • Relevance to the conference themes. Proposals should address the overall theme of Co-Designing the Future of Primary Health Care. Priority will be given to those that also address one or more of the questions or priority topics listed above.
  • Equity and diversity: Proposals must align with the Alliance’s commitment to advancing health equity in Ontario. Priority will be given to proposals that are Intersectional and include perspectives from one or more of the Alliance’s priority groups – people and communities who are Indigenous, Black, Francophone, LGBT2SQ+, or situated in rural or northern areas.
  • Organization and clarity: Proposals must clearly and concisely outline the innovation, program, or project that will be described in the session, as well as the intended learning objectives and outcomes for the session.
  • Evidence and impact: The proposal should describe how the initiative, program, or project includes evidence or research-informed decision-making and has achieved, or is on track to achieve, measurable results.
  • Future-readiness: Is the initiative scalable, sustainable, and adaptable? Is it designed to meet new or emerging needs, and can it be adapted to remain relevant in an uncertain future?  
  • Lived experience expertise: The presentation should consider the perspectives of clients and/or communities with lived experiences. Priority will be given to those that demonstrate a commitment to community-led or community-informed work and meaningful co-design.

#Formats

Presentations must adhere to one of the following formats:

  • Skill Building Workshops (60 min): The presenter teaches or demonstrates a specific skill or practice required in a primary health care setting. These sessions will include an engaging interactive component that enables participants to explore how they might apply such skill or practices in their setting.
  • Practice and Research Posters: Present the work your team is doing, research or other innovation in a poster format.
  • Panel Presentations (60 min): A coordinated presentation by up to three panelists, and possibly a discussant, providing an in-depth, theme-based exploration of a current issue facing community-centred primary health care.
  • Program and Practice Spotlights (10 min): 10-minute story presentation about an effective approach, applied research initiative or an innovative practice or program.

#Terms and Conditions

#Notification of acceptance

The deadline to submit a proposal is February 1, 2024. All proposals will be acknowledged with a confirmation number upon submission. Please print/save a copy of your confirmation screen.

All authors of accepted proposals will be notified on or after April 1, 2024. They will then have three days from the acceptance notification to confirm their participation in writing. 

Please note: The conference program will include sessions from both the call for proposals and from invited speakers relevant to the conference themes. To achieve diversity and balance in the conference program and address time and space constraints, the conference team may suggest changing the session format or combining similar sessions into one.

#Fee waiver and responsibility for expenses.

All accepted proposals will one-day fee waivers for presenters (one for a spotlight session, up to two for a poster or workshop, and up to four for a panel). These are to cover the registration cost for presenters to attend on the day of their presentation. All presenters agree to complete and submit an online conference registration form by the early-bird registration deadline.  Presenters are responsible for all other expenses related to presenting at the conference.

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#Questions?

For questions related to the conference themes, calls for proposals and reviewers, or logistics, please email conference@allianceON.org.