Care Team

As primary care shifts from transactional to quality focused, incorporating a care team has become even more beneficial. In order to provide comprehensive, patient-centered care, more than just the clinician must play a role. The care team consists of physicians, nurse practitioners, PAs, nurses, care managers, dieticians, and social workers, among others. Having a large, well-coordinated team allows patients to avoid the confusion when attempting to access primary care services and leads to better connectedness in their care. The care team is totally devoted to ensuring that the patient is at the center of the care process. As the driver of the care team, the patient is especially involved in choosing their course of care. Care teams are essential in coordination, and continuity of care. As clinics develop a care team, it is critical that they include the patient voice, to ensure that they are effectively meeting the patients' needs. If the care team lacks cohesion, it will only further contribute to the current, fragmented system. 

Resources

Care Practices to Promote Patient Engagement in VA Primary Care: Factors Associated With High Performance | October 2020
Organizations with a strong team-based care infrastructure are better positioned to launch patient engagement programs, according to research published in the Annals of Family Medicine. “Collectively, our findings suggest that strengthening the foundation of the medical home by promoting full staffing of primary care teams, clearly defined roles of team members, effective leadership, and a practice culture of performance improvement may increase adoption and use of patient engagement practices,” the researchers conclude
Telepsychiatry in the Era of COVID-19 | April 2020

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Care Delivery & Integration

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