Interprofessional Primary Care Teams Research Articles

Identifying strategies to support implementation of interprofessional primary care teams in Nova Scotia: Results of a survey and knowledge sharing event

BackgroundInterprofessional primary care teams (IPCTs) work together to enhance care. Despite evidence on the benefits of IPCTs, implementation remains challenging. This research aims to 1) identify and prioritize barriers and enablers, and 2) co-develop team-level strategies to support IPCT implementation in Nova Scotia, Canada.MethodsHealthcare providers and staff of IPCTs were invited to complete an online survey to identify barriers and enablers, and the degree to which each item impacted the functioning of their team. Top ranked items were identified using the sum of frequency x impact for each response. A virtual knowledge sharing event was held to identify strategies to address local barriers and enablers that impact team functioning.ResultsIPCT members (n = 117), with a mix of clinic roles and experience, completed the survey. The top three enablers identified were access to technological tools to support their role, standardized processes for using the technological tools, and having a team manager to coordinate collaboration. The top three barriers were limited opportunity for daily team communication, lack of conflict resolution strategies, and lack of capacity building opportunities. IPCT members, administrators, and patients attended the knowledge sharing event (n = 33). Five strategies were identified including: 1) balancing patient needs and provider scope of practice, 2) holding regular and accessible meetings, 3) supporting team development opportunities, 4) supporting professional development, and 5) supporting involvement in non-clinical activities.InterpretationThis research contextualized evidence to further understand local perspectives and experiences of barriers and enablers to the implementation of IPCTs. The knowledge exchange event identified actionable strategies that IPCTs and healthcare administrators can tailor to support teams and care for patients.

A-I-D for Cascades: Designing a theory-informed intervention for addressing prescribing cascades in primary care

Abstract Introduction Prescribing cascades, which occur when a medication is used to treat the side effect of another medication, are important contributors to polypharmacy. There is an absence of studies that evaluate the implementation or impact of existing interventions to address prescribing cascades in practice. Aim To design theory-informed options for interventions to address prescribing cascades within interprofessional primary care teams. Methods The Behaviour Change Wheel (BCW) framework, and its eight steps, were applied to guide intervention development by the research team. Three target behaviours were drafted and prioritised for intervention development based on data collected as part of two qualitative studies exploring why and how cascades occur across practice settings.[1,2] A target behaviour was selected and the COM-B (capability, opportunity, motivation-behaviour) model was then applied to identify the relevant factors for interprofessional primary care teams. The BCW was used to determine the relevant intervention types and policy options for the behaviour. Next, corresponding behaviour change techniques (BCTs) were identified and intervention options drafted. Prioritisation of behaviours and intervention examples were guided by the APEASE criteria (Affordability, Practicability, Effectiveness/cost-effectiveness, Acceptability, Side-effects/safety, Equity). Results The three target behaviours involved supporting: 1) healthcare providers to ask about, investigate and manage cascades (often through deprescribing), 2) the public to ask about prescribing cascades, and 3) the public to share medication histories and experiences with healthcare providers. The team selected the healthcare provider behaviour, called A-I-D (ask, investigate, deprescribe), for intervention development. Psychological capability and physical opportunity were determined to be the most relevant COM-B components, corresponding to education, training, environmental restructuring, and enablement intervention types and the guidelines, communications and marketing, and service provision policy options within the BCW model. Ultimately, 10 intervention options comprised of BCTs were developed by the team, which are ready for further prioritisation by stakeholders. These can be grouped into three categories: provision of educational content or materials for use by clinicians, provision of consultation or training to support clinicians, and knowledge mobilisation strategies. Through the process, the team identified that development of a practice guidance tool, which assists healthcare providers to investigate and manage prescribing cascades, is needed to support further intervention development. Conclusion The BCW framework guided the design of intervention options that will support primary care clinicians practising in interprofessional teams to address prescribing cascades. A limitation of this work is that applying the BCW framework required several judgements by the team, comprised of scientists, pharmacists, and nurses but not a general practitioner physician. Many but not all have practised with primary care interprofessional teams. When identifying interventions for future consultation, it was determined that the development of a practice guidance tool (i.e., which assists with identifying, investigating, and managing prescribing cascades) underpinned all the proposed interventions for addressing prescribing cascades in practice. Further research is needed to determine what primary care clinicians will need in this practice guidance tool and how it will be used in practice, to support its development.

A rural interprofessional primary care team develops a school-based sex education program

In French rural areas, getting information about sexual health and identifying health actors on the topic is difficult for teenagers. Despite national and international guidelines, school-based sex education programs remain insufficient in France. The aim of this project was to develop a school-based psycho-affective and sexual health program (PASHP) for teenagers, led by an interprofessional primary care team (IPCT) in Montval-sur-Loir (Sarthe) and to coordinate local stakeholders. The IPCT developed the PASHP using a community-based participatory research method. The first step identified the target population and its needs for sex education. The second step was to create a steering group to tailor PASHP interventions in a participatory way and to define the PASHP’s aims and execution arrangements. The third step aimed at carrying out the PASHP and getting stakeholders’ and the target population’s feedback. The PASHP, carried out in the 2020–2021 and 2021–2022 school years, included an intervention about contraception and sexually transmitted infections, artistic workshops on consent or gender stereotypes, group discussions, and an intervention about pornography to assist parents. The PASHP developed and coordinated by the Montval-sur-Loir IPCT is innovative because of its organization. It coordinates local stakeholders, teenagers, and their parents in a disadvantaged rural area, respecting national guidelines on sex education.

Barriers and enablers to implementing interprofessional primary care teams: a narrative review of the literature using the consolidated framework for implementation research

BackgroundInterprofessional primary care teams have been introduced across Canada to improve access (e.g., a regular primary care provider, timely access to care when needed) to and quality of primary care. However, the quality and speed of team implementation has not kept pace with increasing access issues. The aim of this research was to use an implementation framework to categorize and describe barriers and enablers to team implementation in primary care.MethodsA narrative review that prioritized systematic reviews and evidence syntheses was conducted. A search using pre-defined terms was conducted using Ovid MEDLINE, and potentially relevant grey literature was identified through ad hoc Google searches and hand searching of health organization websites. The Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) was used to categorize barriers and enablers into five domains: (1) Features of Team Implementation; (2) Government, Health Authorities and Health Organizations; (3) Characteristics of the Team; (4) Characteristics of Team Members; and (5) Process of Implementation.ResultsData were extracted from 19 of 435 articles that met inclusion/exclusion criteria. Most barriers and enablers were categorized into two domains of the CFIR: Characteristics of the Team and Government, Health Authorities, and Health Organizations. Key themes identified within the Characteristics of the Team domain were team-leadership, including designating a manager responsible for day-to-day activities and facilitating collaboration; clear governance structures, and technology supports and tools that facilitate information sharing and communication. Key themes within the Government, Health Authorities, and Health Organizations domain were professional remuneration plans, regulatory policy, and interprofessional education. Other key themes identified in the Features of Team Implementation included the importance of good data and research on the status of teams, as well as sufficient and stable funding models. Positive perspectives, flexibility, and feeling supported were identified in the Characteristics of Team Members domain. Within the Process of Implementation domain, shared leadership and human resources planning were discussed.ConclusionsBarriers and enablers to implementing interprofessional primary care teams using the CFIR were identified, which enables stakeholders and teams to tailor implementation of teams at the local level to impact the accessibility and quality of primary care.

"Building More Connected Primary Care: Improving Connections between Primary Care and Community Care, Specialists and Hospitals for Timely and Appropriate Care"

Although strong, well connected primary care results in better health outcomes and health equity at a lower cost, most family physicians in Ontario, Canada are not supported by teams and have variable connections to other system sectors resulting in variable access and quality of care. A continuous relationship with a family physician and primary care team facilitates access to timely care, appropriate preventive care, reduced acute care utilization and costs, reduced mortality and more satisfied patients. This was further confirmed during the COVID 19 pandemic when patients who were attached to primary care teams had superior care for both COVID and non-COVID health issues.
 Together with patients, families, family physicians and all health care sectors, we co-created and evaluated efficient models of connecting family physicians to: specialists for just in time advice, virtual and in-person consults; to interprofessional teams tailored to the needs of their practices and to navigation services tailored to primary care. These models were co-designed with family physicians and continue to evolve based on their evolving needs:
 SCOPE (Seamless Care Optimizing the Patient Experience) connects primary care providers (PCPs) in the community to real-time supports through a single point of access, Co-designed with local PCPS, SCOPE improves access to an interprofessional team who can help with urgent medical consultations, diagnostic imaging, curated home and community care, mental health, and navigation of other services available in the hospital or in the community.
 TIP (Telemedicine IMPACT PLUS) TIP (Telemedicine IMPACT Plus) provides rapid access to case consultation by a virtual team of health care professionals to enable proactive health and social care for patients living with multi-morbidity. The case conference involves the patient/caregivers, family physician and TIP RN along with the consulting team that consists of: Psychiatrist, Internist, Pharmacist, Social Worker, Home Care Coordinator, Dietitian and others as required. The purpose of this consultation is to coordinate care and derive new solutions for addressing chronic conditions. A dedicated
 TIP nurse facilitator prepares the case, facilitates the consultation with one of 12 available teams, summarizes a coordinated care plan and coordinates the patient’s circle of care.
 Building interprofessional primary care teams based on family physician patient roster needs relies on nourishing foundational relationships with local PCPs to help identify gaps in care, engaging PCPS in continuous program improvement and developing partnerships with key stakeholders: leadership from the anchor hospital and their specialist groups, home and community care and community organizations. Joint implementation is based on the value proposition that all sectors win when care is appropriately triaged and managed in the community.
 When combined, connected and integrated into primary care practices, these initiatives build the Patient Medical Home, with the PCP at the centre of care, support to more effectively co-manage patients using existing resources more efficiently mapped to patient needs. These initiatives support relationship-based navigation, the underpinning of team-based primary care essential to improving system navigation for timely access to needs-based care.
 The target audience: patients, families, interprofessional primary care providers, specialists, home care and community providers, and hospitals.
 
 
 

Stakeholder Perspectives on Interprofessional Primary Care for Adults With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities in Ontario, Canada.

Access to high-quality primary care has been identified as a pressing need for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Interprofessional primary care teams offer comprehensive and coordinated approaches to primary care delivery and are well-positioned to address the needs of adults with IDD. The overall aim of this article is to describe the current provision of interprofessional primary care for adults with IDD from the perspectives of patients, caregivers, and health providers. Results provide important insights into the current state of practice and highlight a critical need for further work in the field to develop processes to engage in team-based care and demonstrate the value of the approach for this population.

Social workers' formal and informal leadership in interprofessional primary care teams in Ontario, Canada.

The development of interprofessional teams in primary care presents opportunities for social workers to take on new leadership positions. This study seeks to describe how social workers engaged in leadership roles in primary care during the COVID-19 pandemic. A cross-sectional on-line survey was disseminated to primary care social workers across Ontario, Canada, with a total of 159 respondents. Most respondents engaged in informal leadership roles and showcased a range of leadership skills promoting team collaboration and consultations, along with adapting to virtual care transitions. Findings suggest there needs to be intentional cultivation of social work leaders through supportive environments and training. Social workers in primary care have leadership capacity and are providing leadership to their primary care teams through formal and informal means. The leadership potential of social workers in primary care teams, however, is being underutilized and can be further developed.

Occupational Therapist-Led Mindfulness Training Program for Older Adults Living with Early Cognitive Decline in Primary Care: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.

Community-dwelling older adults with early cognitive deficits experience less efficiency in performing everyday life tasks, resulting in decreased satisfaction and other adverse psychological outcomes. Mindfulness training has been linked to cognitive and psychological improvements and, most recently, has been identified as a potential intervention supporting performance of everyday life activities. This study aimed to evaluate whether mindfulness practice can improve perceived performance and satisfaction with everyday life activity and secondary psychological outcomes. This study is a pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) in an interprofessional primary care team practice in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The participants were 27 older adults aged 60 years of age or older living with early cognitive deficits. Participants were randomized into an 8-Week mindfulness training program (n = 14) group or a Wait-List Control (WLC; n = 13) group compared at baseline, post-intervention and 4-weeks follow-up. MANOVAs with post-hoc independent t-tests were used to compare between groups at different time points. There was a significant improvement in anxiety for the intervention group compared to the WLC group at post-intervention; Time-2 (mean difference = 3.90; CI = 0.04-7.75; p = 0.04) with large effect size (d = 0.80). Mindfulness training significantly improved anxiety scores for patients with early cognitive deficits post-intervention. Further work is required to test the sustainability of reduced anxiety over time, but this study demonstrated that MBSR is a promising primary care intervention for those living with early cognitive deficits. This study warrants the pursuit of a future study in exploring how long the reduced anxiety effects would be sustained.

Impact of remuneration, extrinsic and intrinsic incentives on interprofessional primary care teams: protocol for a rapid scoping review

IntroductionInterprofessional teams and funding and payment provider arrangements are key attributes of high-performing primary care. Several Canadian jurisdictions have introduced team-based models with different payment models. Despite these investments, the...

The Benefits and Challenges of Precepting Pharmacy Students Virtually in Interprofessional Primary Care Teams

ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to identify pharmacists’ perspectives on the benefits and challenges of precepting pharmacy students during circumstances that require using virtual care in team-based primary care practices. MethodsA cross-sectional online survey was disseminated through Qualtrics software from July 5, 2021, to October 13, 2021. We used a convenience sampling technique to recruit a sample of pharmacists working in primary care teams across Ontario, Canada, who were able to complete a web-based survey in English. ResultsA total of 51 pharmacists participated in the survey and provided complete responses (response rate of 41%). Participants noted benefits at 3 levels of precepting pharmacy students in primary care during the COVID-19 pandemic: (1) benefits to pharmacists, (2) benefits to patients, and (3) benefits to students. Challenges of precepting pharmacy students were: (1) difficulty training students virtually, (2) students not being ideally prepared to begin a practicum training during a pandemic, and (3) reduced availability and new workload demands. ConclusionPharmacists in team-based primary care highlighted substantial benefits and challenges for precepting students during a pandemic. Alternative mechanisms of experiential education delivery can provide new opportunities for pharmacy care yet can also restrict immersion into interprofessional team-based primary care and diminish pharmacist capacity. Additional support and resources to facilitate capacity are critical for pharmacy students to succeed in future practice in team-based primary care.

Occupational therapy services in primary care: a scoping review.

To examine and describe the current evidence about occupational therapy services in primary care. Interprofessional primary care teams have been introduced to support the changing demographics and provide more comprehensive and coordinated care. Occupational therapists have the opportunity to play an important role in this expanding area of practice. To do so, occupational therapists must develop roles built on evidence and a clear understanding of the care delivery context. A scoping review was conducted based on the scientific and grey literature. Studies that described or examined the occupational therapy role with clients (individuals, groups, communities, populations) of all ages, conditions or occupational issues in a primary care context and that presented or referred to an occupational therapist working in a primary care setting were included. Studies were excluded if they were not in English or French. The Canadian Model of Occupational Performance and Engagement was used to chart the data. 129 articles were identified, with 62 non-research and 67 research-focussed articles. A total of 268 assessments and 868 interventions were identified. The top interventions offered by occupational therapists were referring to/advocating for/coordinating/linking to and navigating community services (n = 36 articles), chronic disease management (n = 34 articles)/self-management education (n = 28 articles), health promotion (n = 30 articles) and falls prevention (n = 27 articles). The predominant focus in the literature is on adult and older adult populations.

The experience of primary care teams during the early phase of COVID-19: A qualitative study of primary care practice leaders in Ontario, Canada

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has caused a rapid shift to virtual care in primary care practices around the globe. There has been little focus on the experiences of interprofessional teams through the lens of primary care practice leaders. The objective of this study was to examine the experience of primary care teams during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic from the perspective of primary care leadership.MethodsQualitative study using qualitative description methods. Executive Directors of interprofessional primary care teams belonging to the Association of Family Health Teams of Ontario (AFHTO) were invited to participate. Executive Directors were interviewed and the interview transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis.ResultsSeventy-one Executive Directors from across all regions of Ontario were interviewed for the study, representing 37% of the AFHTO member clinics. Four themes were identified in the data: i) Complexities of Virtual Care, ii) Continuation of In-person Care, iii) Supporting Patients at Risk, and iv) Stepping up and into New Roles.ConclusionsPrimary care teams rapidly mobilized to deliver the majority of their care virtually, while continuing to provide in-person and home care as required. Major challenges to virtual care included technological infrastructure and unfamiliarity with virtual platforms. Advantages to virtual care included convenience and time savings. Virtual care will likely continue to be an important mode of primary care delivery moving forward.

Interprofessional Primary Care and Acute Care Hospital Use by People With Dementia: A Population-Based Study.

Interprofessional primary care has the potential to optimize hospital use for acute care among people with dementia. We compared 1-year emergency department (ED) visits and hospitalizations among people with dementia enrolled in a practice having an interprofessional primary care team with those enrolled in a physician-only group practice. A population-based, repeated cohort study design was used to extract yearly cohorts of 95,323 community-dwelling people in Ontario, Canada, newly identified in administrative data with dementia between April 1, 2005 and March 31, 2015. Patient enrollment in an interprofessional practice or a physician-only practice was determined at the time of dementia diagnosis. We used propensity score-based inverse probability weighting to compare study groups on overall and nonurgent ED visits as well as on overall and potentially avoidable hospitalizations in the 1 year following dementia diagnosis. People with dementia enrolled in a practice having an interprofessional primary care team were more likely to have ED visits (relative risk = 1.03; 95% CI, 1.01-1.05) and nonurgent ED visits (relative risk = 1.22; 95% CI, 1.18-1.28) compared with those enrolled in a physician-only primary care practice. There was no evidence of an association between interprofessional primary care and hospitalization outcomes. Interprofessional primary care was associated with increased ED use but not hospitalizations among people newly identified as having dementia. Although interprofessional primary care may be well suited to manage the growing and complex dementia population, a better understanding of the optimal characteristics of team-based care and the reasons leading to acute care hospital use by people with dementia is needed.

Home-based primary care in Canada: Five innovative urban practices.

While the home-based primary care model offers potential patient and system-level benefits, implementation of interprofessional home-based primary care teams has not been widespread. When caring for homebound patients, family physicians are often not included as regular contributors or participants in the team that coordinates and plans much of the care for these patients. To describe a selection of home-based primary care practices and to identify barriers to and facilitators of the creation and sustainability of these models within the publicly funded health care system. Five existing home-based primary care practices were examined: 1 each in Victoria and Vancouver in BC; 1 in Winnipeg, Man; and 2 in Toronto, Ont. The research team conducted semistructured team interviews, interviews with the physician leads, and informal observation of elements of team-based care planning at these 5 sites. From these sources, descriptions of each practice were developed in terms of practice history, context, and initiating factors; practice goals and performance management; and practice design elements, including target population, referral sources, and team composition. A qualitative thematic content analysis was used to extract and distil implementation barriers and facilitators across the 5 practices. Members of each practice team validated the interpretation of thematic information. Substantial heterogeneity was found in the composition of the interprofessional teams. The overarching initiating factor for the home-based component of all practices could be described as identifying and addressing unmet community need. Physician leadership, creative funding models, team camaraderie, and community partnerships were the main facilitators. Limited health system support, geography, and lack of existing models of care were the main barriers. Substantial barriers to wider implementation of home-based primary care practices persist. Examination of existing practices identifies the importance of physician leadership and commitment to meeting community need.

Physician and Nurse Practitioner Teamwork and Job Satisfaction: Gender and Profession

Designing interprofessional primary care teams composed of physicians and nurse practitioners (NPs) is a national priority. We assessed how profession and gender affect teamwork and job satisfaction among primary care physicians and NPs by using survey data from 186 physicians and 398 NPs practicing in New York State. Our regression models show profession (NP vs physician) moderates the associations of gender with teamwork and job satisfaction. Among NPs, men had higher job satisfaction than women. Among physicians, women had higher job satisfaction than men. Our results can benefit interprofessional primary care teams to optimize their professional and gender mix.

Collaboration in Interprofessional Primary Care Teams during the COVID-19 Pandemic

The International Journal of Integrated Care (IJIC) is an online, open-access, peer-reviewed scientific journal that publishes original articles in the field of integrated care on a continuous basis.IJIC has an Impact Factor of 5.120 (2020 JCR, received in June 2021)The IJIC 20th Anniversary Issue was published in 2021.

Increasing Equitable Access to Interprofessional Primary Care Teams in North Toronto

The International Journal of Integrated Care (IJIC) is an online, open-access, peer-reviewed scientific journal that publishes original articles in the field of integrated care on a continuous basis.IJIC has an Impact Factor of 5.120 (2020 JCR, received in June 2021)The IJIC 20th Anniversary Issue was published in 2021.

Longitudinal costs and health service utilisation associated with primary care reforms in Ontario: a retrospective cohort study protocol

IntroductionOver the last 20 years, the Canadian province of Ontario implemented several new models of primary care focusing on changes to physician remuneration, clinics led by nurse practitioners and the...

Examining utility and feasibility of implementing patient-reported outcome measures in occupational therapy primary care practice

Introduction Occupational therapists are increasingly part of interprofessional primary care teams, helping to expand primary care to meet client needs. Effectiveness of occupational therapy services is difficult to determine with currently collected data, and little is known about the best tools to use or how to integrate tools into practice. We explored the utility and feasibility of implementing patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) within occupational therapy primary care practice. Method We integrated pre-test/post-test and exploratory qualitative designs. Over 7 months, nine occupational therapists administered two PROMs to clients receiving falls prevention services, addressing falls efficacy and participation in daily occupations. Subsequent interviews with therapists explored the utility and feasibility of using the tools. We assessed pre-to-post change in PROM scores and thematically analyzed interview data. Results The occupational therapists valued measuring function and participation in daily occupations to inform practice, communicate with team members, and demonstrate effectiveness. The falls efficacy scale appeared to capture change over time and was feasible to implement at pre-test. Conclusion PROMs appear useful within occupational therapy primary care falls prevention services and can be feasible with attention to administration processes. Further development and testing of PROMs is needed to support occupational therapy primary care practice.

Interprofessional primary care: indispensable for family physicians yet invisible to older patients

ABSTRACT There is growing consensus that interprofessional primary care is key to delivering timely, coordinated, and comprehensive care, especially in the older patient population who often live with complex and chronic needs. Despite significant investments in reforming health systems toward interprofessional primary care, there is a paucity of evidence describing the importance of interprofessional primary care for older patients and physicians. This qualitative descriptive study aimed to understand the use and utility of interprofessional primary care for older patients and family physicians from the perspective of different stakeholders within primary care in Ontario, Canada. Twenty-five semi-structured interviews (including 16 older patients, six family physicians, three primary care managers) and a focus group with 13 patient representatives were conducted. Our study found that while the benefits of interprofessional primary care teams for family physicians were clearly emphasized, stakeholders consistently reported that older patients often appeared to be unaware of the presence of, or roles played by, non-physician healthcare professionals in their clinic. Better transparency and education regarding available services and roles of different care providers may allow for more optimal use of interprofessional family medicine clinics by patients.