Teaming up in primary care: Membership boundaries, interdependence, and coordination.

Journal Article (Journal Article)

OBJECTIVE: Increased demand for quality primary care and value-based payment has prompted interest in implementing primary care teams. Evidence-based recommendations for implementing teams will be critical to successful PA participation. This study sought to describe how primary care providers (PCPs) define team membership boundaries and coordinate tasks. METHODS: This mixed-methods study included 28 PCPs from a primary care network. We analyzed survey data using descriptive statistics and interview data using content analysis. RESULTS: Ninety-six percent of PCPs reported team membership. Team models fell into one of five categories. The predominant coordination mechanism differed by whether coordination was required in a visit or between visits. CONCLUSIONS: Team-based primary care is a strategy for improving access to quality primary care. Most PCPs define team membership based on within-visit task interdependencies. Our findings suggest that team-based interventions can focus on clarifying team membership, increasing interaction between clinicians, and enhancing the electronic health record to facilitate between-visit coordination.

Full Text

Duke Authors

Cited Authors

  • Everett, CM; Docherty, SL; Matheson, E; Morgan, PA; Price, A; Christy, J; Michener, L; Smith, VA; Anderson, JB; Viera, A; Jackson, GL

Published Date

  • February 1, 2022

Published In

Volume / Issue

  • 35 / 2

Start / End Page

  • 1 - 10

PubMed ID

  • 34985006

Pubmed Central ID

  • PMC9869344

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

  • 1547-1896

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  • 10.1097/01.JAA.0000805840.00477.58

Language

  • eng

Conference Location

  • United States