What are they?
A Health Plan or Health Maintenance Plan (HMP) is a feature of our Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system, which allows us to schedule reminders. These reminders generally repeat with a pre-determined frequency based on published standards. For example, we may create a HMP for “Blood Pressure Reading” for patients who require regular monitoring. This allows for trends to be observed and corrective action to be taken, if necessary.

​What do I do?
Any time you visit the clinic, our staff will be prompted if you have a HMP that is coming-up or past-due. Our staff will take the appropriate action at that time. When you login to the Patient Portal, you can see the same HMP tasks. In some cases you can take action yourself by either completing the task at home (e.g. take a home blood pressure reading) or schedule an appointment with one of our staff. You are an important part of your health care team. We encourage all of our patients to register on the Patient Portal to play an active role by keeping up to date with their Health Maintenance Plans.

What actions do I take?
The following describes some of the possible Health Maintenance Plan tasks and what action you need to take.

HMP Task Name (see below for descriptions)	Action Required
Blood Pressure Reading	Take home BP readings, enter data in the Patient Portal.
BMD	Send a portal message requesting referral for a Bone Mineral Density test.
CHF Review +10 min	Call us for an appointment. ​Note: CHF review can be added to an upcoming appointment.
Colonoscopy	Send a portal message requesting referral for a colonoscopy.
Diabetic Management Assessment	Book your appointment online in the Patient Portal.
FIT Recall	Send a portal message requesting a FIT kit. ​The test will be mailed directly to you for completion at home.
Mammography	Find your nearest Ontario Breast Screening Program site ​to book an appointment 1-800-668-9304.
OBSP	Send a portal message requesting a requisition for screening.
Pap Smear	Call us for a PAP appointment.
Immunizations - Due	Call us for an appointment.

​What do the terms mean?
The HMP task names have been expanded and references included for additional information. If you have further questions, use the Patient Portal message feature to get an answer to your question.

Blood Pressure Reading
Readings of your blood pressure are taken frequently over your lifetime and stored as part of your medical record. Significant changes in the blood pressure may indicate a medical condition that should be investigated. It is better to have more readings than too few. Readings should be done when you are relaxed, sitting up straight in a chair with your feet flat on the floor (not crossed). Your arm should be level at the elbow. Rest for 5 minutes before the first reading then take 2 readings with 1-2 minutes delay between each reading. 

Some patients will purchase a blood pressure machine to take readings from home, more easily and frequently than coming into the clinic. To view a list of recommended devices, click here. There are blood pressure machines at many pharmacies.

BMD 
BMD stands for Bone Mineral Density Test also known as bone densitometry. It is used to help identify whether you have osteoporosis and how likely you are to develop it in the future. Results can help you make decisions to prevent fracture or further bone loss.

CHF Review
CHF is a short form for Congestive Heart Failure. Patients diagnosed with CHF will be monitored by our clinical team on a regular basis. The clinician will review a number of tests and observations to complete this task. It usually adds 10 minutes to your appointment time.

Colonoscopy
Colonoscopy is a procedure which allows a doctor to examine the lining of the colon and rectum. Screening for colorectal cancer may include colonoscopy for people at high risk. 

Diabetic Management Assessment
A patient with diabetes needs to be assessed in the office at least 3 times per year. This is part of the disease management protocol. The clinician will perform and record a number of tests. Patients can book these appointments online in the Patient Portal. 

FIT Recall
The fecal immunochemical test (FIT) is a screening test for colorectal cancer. The test detects blood in your stool (poop) which can be a sign of pre-cancer. FIT is safe to use and can be done in your own home by following the instructions provided with your kit.

If you are between the ages of 50-74, it is recommended that you complete a FIT every 1-2 years. Some patients are excluded if they have had other tests performed (such as a colonoscopy) or have been treated for cancer. If eligible, your doctor will order the kit for you. It will be mailed directly to you at the mailing address we have on file within about 10 days. For more information, visit Cancer Care Ontario’s website.

Mammography
Mammography is the process of using low-energy X-rays to examine the human breast and is used as a diagnostic and screening tool. The goal of mammography is to screen for breast cancers when they are small and are less likely to have spread (metastasized) and more likely to be treated successfully. Women ages 50-74 can contact any Ontario Breast Screening Program (OBSP) site to make an appointment. A doctor's referral is not needed. To find your nearest OBSP site, call 1-800-668-9304 or visit the OBSP website.

OBSP
The Ontario Breast Screening Program (OBSP) screens women ages 30-69 who are identified as being at high risk of breast cancer. For more information, visit Cancer Care Ontario’s website.

PAP Smear
The Pap Smear (also called Pap test, cervical smear, or smear test) is a screening test used to detect abnormal cells in the cervix that could lead to cervical cancer later in life. For women ages 21-69 who have ever been sexually active, it is recommended that they have regular Pap tests every 3 years.

​Immunizations
A number of immunizations may be listed such as Tetanus or Pneumovax. Others may be shown in the HMP list but not described in this document.