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

Recommendations to the IHS from the Rural Maternal Safety Meeting | January 2016
Team-Based Care Report | January 2016
Comparing Three Ways to Prepare Children and Caregivers to Manage Asthma after an Emergency Room Visit | December 2018
Journal of the Association of American Medical Colleges | March 2016
This resource explores a pilot that aimed to improve chronic disease management through collaboration between medical students and faculty. It showed great potential that interdisciplinary care teams can help to improve patient engagement and retention.

Associated Stakeholders: 

Care Delivery & Integration

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