Vascular Health Medical Directives

INTRODUCTION

One priority need identified by primary care health care providers was a central library of recommended appropriate vascular health medical directives for use in primary care. This Vascular Health Medical Directives Library provides primary care healthcare providers and administrators with a sample of medical directives that can be contextualized to primary care clinics. The main goals of this Vascular Health Medical Directives Library are to facilitate easier access to vascular health medical directives for interprofessional health professionals, to enhance capacity for interprofessional team collaboration in care delivery, and to provide a platform for sharing appropriate resources. The directives gathered and developed to-date are the result of an extensive environmental scan of primary care clinics in Ontario and in consultation with vascular health networks or organizations and professional associations.

Medical directives have been developed following the recommended Federation of Health Regulatory Colleges of Ontario medical directives template and are based on best practice guidelines and clinical expertise. Elements within a medical directive may well be within the scope of interprofessional health providers scope of practice. It is up to each health care professional to ensure that they meet the expectations of their respective professions. The medical directives may indicate that further education is required to obtain the necessary skills and knowledge to implement the directive.

Sample Medical Directives