Impact of Interprofessional Primary Care Practice on Patient Outcomes: A Scoping Review

Livia R M Mccutcheon,Ahlam A Saleh,Ruta Valaitis,Grant Russell,Deborah A Sturpe,Jeannie K Lee,Kevin A Clauson,Stuart T Haines

doi:10.1177/2158244020935899

Abstract

Systematic reviews have provided some insight into the impact of interprofessional collaborative practice on patient outcomes. Despite strong interest in interprofessional collaborative practice, relatively little is known about its impact in primary care settings. This scoping literature review describes the essential elements of an interprofessional primary care practice and explores what is known about its impact on patient care including clinical, humanistic, and economic outcomes. We completed a review of the literature examining the breadth of knowledge related to interprofessional collaborative practice in primary care settings. A search was conducted to identify studies based on predefined criteria. A total of 51 studies met the criteria. A total of 27 studies reported a significantly positive clinical outcome with the interprofessional collaborative practice model, 27 studies reported no difference, and one study reported negative outcome in mortality. A total of 15 studies reported a significantly positive humanistic outcome. There was little to no difference in economic outcomes. This study provides new insights for future research that examines the impact of interprofessional primary care practice.

Highlights

With growing demand for health care services and an aging population, management of chronic illness in primary care settings is an increasingly important aspect of health care delivery
Seven studies reported significant difference in serum cholesterol (LDL, TC, HDL), eight studies reported no difference in serum cholesterol (LDL, HDL, TC, TG), but this could be due to patients previously being controlled and on an appropriate therapy. This finding shows that the interprofessional team strategy may be considered in the setting of hypertension and diabetes management as it is supported by many studies
Our findings reveal that there are studies showing that interprofessional collaborative practice (ICP) in primary care settings can positively impact clinical and humanistic outcomes

Summary

Introduction

With growing demand for health care services and an aging population, management of chronic illness in primary care settings is an increasingly important aspect of health care delivery. The patientcentered medical home (PCMH) model has been proposed as one of the featured models in a reformed United States health care system. This model is patient-centered and physiciandirected and encourages a team approach to care for patients. The authors reported the patient-centered and physician-directed care to be more accessible, higher quality, more satisfying, and less costly than other models of care. The PCMH model using interprofessional team care has shown to increase patient and physician satisfaction with care as well as improve patient access and quality of care (Epperly, 2011)

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