Mapping primary care attachment in Hamilton

Data on primary care attachment and the health needs of communities is a critical resource for local primary care planning. The David Braley Primary Care Research Collaborative partnered with Hamilton Public Health Services to compile indicators on primary care, social determinants of health and population health into an interactive GIS mapping tool for the Greater Hamilton Health Network (GHHN). Data are available at small geographies (e.g. urban neighbourhoods) to enable local planning and can be aggregated to larger geographies as needed. The Atlas has been a critical resource for the GHHN Primary Care Network to build a shared understanding of the current state of primary care attachment and disparities in health outcomes and the social determinants of health. The GHHN Primary Care Network has used the Atlas to identify priority neighbourhoods for primary care investments and respond to provincial funding calls for team-based primary care. The Atlas will continue to be valuable to prioritize investments in primary care and, in 2026, partners will be developing an MOU for ongoing maintenance, data updates and expansion, and decision-making.

Snapshot of a single neighbourhood:

• 24% of residents (784 people) unattached to primary care
  • 36% (279) are newcomers to Ontario
  • 13% (98) have a mental health diagnosis
• 244 ED visits that could be managed by primary care
• Total population: 3,250
• 23% population growth over 5 yrs
• Highest premature death rate in Hamilton
• High rate of hospitalizations for heart disease and COPD

Project lead: Cathy Risdon, Bethany Elliott
Contact: Bethany Elliott (elliob12@mcmaster.ca)