Provincial Attachment System

The Provincial Attachment System (PAS), announced by the BC government and Doctors of BC, is designed to provide a coordinated and seamless approach to connecting patients who do not have a family doctor with physicians who are able to take on new patients. It is another step in our journey to revitalize and strengthen family medicine.

It will:

  • Help unattached patients who need a family doctor.

  • Help doctors who are building new practices or expanding their panels.

  • Measure system progress and identify capacity so that communities can more effectively plan for the future.

PAS will include all longitudinal family physicians regardless of their payment model.

You can find more information on the PAS Registry Payments on our PAS payment information page.

Latest news

The latest news on the PAS is available in the newsletter that was sent to physicians on April 9, 2024. This newsletter provides an overview on upcoming PAS changes to enhance patient attachment.

On April 17, the Ministry of Health will launch enhancements to the Provincial Attachment System (PAS) and the Health Connect Registry (HCR) to help improve and accelerate patient attachment while reducing the burden on physicians. Read more in this Ministry of Health memo.

How it works

The Provincial Attachment System is made up of two streams:

Patient-facing: 

  • The Health Connect Registry is where unattached patients around the province can register to identify that they are seeking a family doctor in their community. 

Provider-facing:

The “provider-facing” stream for community longitudinal care providers is made up of two streams:

  • Panel Registry: Family physicians providing longitudinal care are asked to log into this registry to verify their clinic information and identify if they are able to take on new patients. Physicians are also asked to submit patient panel information, which will then populate this into the panel registry. Please check here for instructions and resources on how to submit your panel information. 

  • Clinic and Provider Registry: Medical directors log into this registry to provide basic information about their clinics, including address, operating hours, and physician and clinical staff. The registry is pre-populated with clinic information, where possible. Information gathered will help to understand the current medical care provided in a community and to identify care gaps to support future planning.

Supporting patient and physician choice

Trust and rapport between patients and physicians are critically important and there must be flexibility and choice for both parties. To support this priority at the community level, attachment coordinators will provide assistance to connect patients and doctors through the Health Connect Registry (HCR) to ensure there is a good "match”. Should either a physician or patient decide that the attachment fit isn’t right, the attachment coordinator will return the patient to the HCR to find a better match.

In summary:

  • No doctors will be forced to increase their panel size.

  • No doctors will be forced to take on new patients.

  • The final decision on whether a new patient is a good match is left with the physician and the patient. 

Resources and support

A wide range of resources and supports are available to assist you in using the PAS including user guides, videos, training sessions, and office hours.

Training and technical support

Our intent is to have a system that is intuitive and easy to use. To fully support you with the new PAS, the Ministry of Health has produced a range of training materials and supports that are now available:

  • Quick Start User Guides (12 Guides are 2–4-minute reading time): These user guides can be accessed through the PAS Knowledge Base. Easy to read and quick to access, the User Guides will get you up and running on the PAS.

  • Short, Topic-Focused Videos (< 2 minutes): These videos can be accessed through the PAS Knowledge Base. Designed to reinforce key steps covered in the User Guides, these bite-sized videos offer quick reminders for various PAS functions.

For additional information or support on PAS, contact PHSA:

Email:

Zoom (link for app/browser and phone/dial in option):

https://zoom.us/j/93003034945?pwd=L3lkL0VqdEJvTjZ2cWMxelB3R3ppdz09

Dial: +1778-907-2071

Meeting ID: 930 0303 4945

Passcode: 548989

Other phone numbers:

+1 778 907 2071 Canada

+1 204 272 7920 Canada

+1 438 809 7799 Canada

+1 587 328 1099 Canada

+1 647 374 4685 Canada

+1 647 558 0588 Canada

The Command Centre is open Monday-Friday 9am-7pm, excluding stat holidays.

For more information

  • For information on how to access PAS, review this infographic.

  • A detailed overview of PAS can be found in a newsletter sent to members in early September 2023. Additional details can be found in this newsletter sent on September 25, 2023.

  • Check out our webinar recorded on September 14, 2023 that provides an overview on the PAS. Also, on November 16, a webinar for physicians provided practical information and demonstrations on how to use the PAS and submit panel lists. The recorded webinar and responses to FAQs can be found here.

For detailed FAQs on the PAS, please go to the FAQs page.