Dr. Tara Kiran, the founder and national lead for the OurCare initiative, is currently leading an exciting research project. Her mission is to improve the state of primary care across Canada. The research was led by the MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions at St. Michael’s Hospital in Unity Health Toronto. During a 16-month engagement, the team released 17 detailed reports. We’re thrilled to have these reports reflect the wisdom of almost 10,000 Canadians. They collaborated and exchanged insights to develop a high-functioning primary care system.
The need for reform is pressing. In 2022, a national survey conducted by OurCare revealed that 22 percent of adults—over 6.5 million people—lack a family doctor or nurse practitioner they can see regularly. This shocking statistic underlines the urgency for new solutions. We’ve designed this new initiative in collaboration with our friends at the Canadian Medical Association.
The OurCare Standard
At the heart of the OurCare movement, is the goal of creating an OurCare Standard. These six simple but powerful messages should go on to clarify what every Canadian has the right to expect from their primary care system. Each person should have an ongoing relationship with a primary care professional. Through this publicly funded multidisciplinary team, this clinician will work alongside other professionals to meet the comprehensive needs of patients.
The OurCare Standard is a powerful tool for assessing where primary care stands today and pushing for the fundamental reforms required to move the system forward. Dr. Kiran emphasized the need for these standards when co-hosting the podcast “Primary Focus.” In each episode, she dives deep into different expertise of health care and fights for the change it takes to make sure that every Canadian has access to excellent, top quality care.
To collect this data, the initiative has used a variety of innovative approaches. These consist of one national telephone survey, five provincial citizens’ reference panels and 10 community-based converse roundtables. This diverse range of sources allows for a comprehensive understanding of the challenges faced by Canadians in accessing primary care.
Engaging Communities and Collecting Insights
One aspect of the OurCare initiative that stands out is the engagement process itself. The survey is still open to any Canadians 18 and over, so there is still time to get a wide array of people involved. Take the 2025 OurCare National Survey today! You can fill it out through July 9, 2025, and it will only take you 10-15 minutes to fill out.
Even more excitingly, five of these reports that originated in OurCare were drafted by the public. These people were leading members of the work provincial reference panels. This involvement not only empowers community voices but ensures that the findings reflect real-life experiences and suggestions for improvement.
Dr. Kiran’s leadership has positioned the OurCare initiative as a crucial player in addressing systemic issues within Canada’s healthcare framework. By actively seeking public input and facilitating discussions around primary care, the initiative aims to foster a more responsive and equitable healthcare system.
Future Directions for Primary Care
OurCare will be producing this final report in February 2024. We’ll be sure to document great new lessons learned from across the country in this report. We hope this report will be a valuable resource and tool for policymakers. It will support the healthcare providers who are working to restore robust primary care services across Canada.
Dr. Kiran’s team is committed to a better practice model. Along the way, they implement community feedback and make adjustments based on the changing landscape of healthcare demands. The insights gained from the 2025 survey will be instrumental in shaping future policies and practices, ensuring that every Canadian can access quality primary care.
