Intermed: an integrated nursing support model in primary care medicine

Abstract

Intermed, a primary care support nurse (PCN) model, was piloted from 2014 to 2021 in a general practice in La Chaux-de-Fonds. In collaboration with the physician and medical assistant, the PCN supports a proactive Chronic Care Model organization, and focuses specifically on patients in complex chronic situations. Integrated into the medical center, the PCN benefits from a close relationship with the physician. Her services, without apparent additional cost, often clarify the functioning of the network around the patients while allowing the latter to regain control over their care. However, her independent status makes her activity economically unviable within the framework of the LAMal and would require a mode of salaried employment which remains to be invented.