Interprofessional Primary Care Research Articles

Strengthening collaboration for interprofessional primary care teams: Insights and key learnings from six disciplinary perspectives.

We provide a case example of the collaborative process required to plan and implement initiatives to enhance team-based primary care, drawing on experiences of six disciplines working together to create new curricula as part of Team Primary Care. Recommendations to strengthen collaboration from our team include building capacity requires an understanding of unique disciplinary roles and understanding of unique elements of primary care; competencies have to be specifically articulated and demonstrated within a primary care context; interprofessional education within and across disciplines is needed; establishing primary care competencies would provide a common set of skills, knowledge, values, and attitudes to form a foundation in which to build the capacity of the interprofessional primary care workforce; and interprofessional collaboration is needed in implementing team-based primary care in practice and in preparing an interprofessional workforce prepared to leverage the expertise of the entire team.

Developing a comprehensive curriculum program for nurse practitioners delivering primary care in the long-term care setting.

In the Long-Term Care (LTC) setting, comprehensive primary care is often provided by Nurse Practitioners (NPs). NPs are uniquely positioned to meet the evolving primary care needs of LTC residents. However, caring for this population requires additional education and training due to its special considerations. To meet the learning needs of NPs entering the LTC workplace, a Certificate Program was designed to enhance primary care competencies within the LTC setting. The aim of the program is to increase knowledge, capacity, and confidence of NPs to deliver quality, evidence-based, integrated, and interprofessional primary care to LTC residents. This curriculum is anticipated to address the growing need for LTC services and improve the delivery of high-quality primary care.

Cultivating a psychological health and safety culture for interprofessional primary care teams through a co-created evidence-informed toolkit.

The psychological health and safety of healthcare workers workplaces and learning environments impacts the quality of healthcare services. To facilitate the psychological health and safety of interprofessional primary care teams, we curated a bilingual toolkit of 122 psychological health and safety resources comprising a multi-level categorization addressing individual, team, organization, and system-level interventions. The resources in the toolkit are organized by 7 themes, based on a clustering of the 15 psychosocial factors. Adopting the framework built on the 7 themes, this article describes the toolkit development process and how it addresses the key factors for psychologically healthy and safe workplaces to foster interprofessional collaboration. Implementation of the interventions in the toolkit is an important next step for which health system leadership is critical. Additionally, we identify several gaps and call on researchers, educators, and health leaders to address them in their future work.

A qualitative examination of the experiences and perspectives of interprofessional primary health care teams in the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccination in Ontario, Canada.

Primary health care (PHC) teams contributed to all phases of the COVID-19 vaccination distribution. However, there has been criticism for not fully utilizing the expertise and infrastructure of PHC teams for vaccination distribution. Our study sought to understand the role PHC teams had in the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine in Ontario, Canada. The key objective informing this study was to explore the experiences and perspectives of interprofessional PHC teams in the distribution of COVID-19 vaccination across Ontario. A qualitative approach was used for this study, which involved 39 participants from the six health regions of the province. Eight focus groups were conducted with a range of interprofessional healthcare providers, administrators, and staff working in PHC teams across Ontario. The sample reflected a diverse range of clinical, administrative, and leadership roles in PHC. Focus groups were audio-recorded and transcribed, while transcriptions were then analyzed using thematic analysis. We identified the following four themes in the data: i) PHC teams know their patients; ii) mobilizing team capacity for vaccination, iii) intersectoral collaborations, and iv) operational challenges. PHC teams were an instrumental component in supporting COVID-19 vaccinations in Ontario. The involvement of PHC in future vaccination efforts is key but requires additional resourcing and inclusion of PHC in decision-making. This will ensure provider well-being and maintain collaborations established during COVID-19 vaccination.

The Community Primary Care Champions Fellowship: a mixed methods evaluation of an interprofessional fellowship for physician assistants and physicians

BackgroundPrimary care in the US faces challenges with clinician recruitment, retention, and burnout, with further workforce shortages predicted in the next decade. Team-based care can be protective against clinician burnout, and opportunities for interprofessional education (IPE) on professional development and leadership could encourage primary care transformation. Despite an increasingly important role in the primary care workforce, IPE initiatives training physician assistants (PAs) alongside physicians are rare. We describe the design, curriculum, and outcomes from an interprofessional primary care transformation fellowship for community-based primary care physicians and PAs.MethodsThe Community Primary Care Champions (CPCC) Fellowship was a one-year, part-time fellowship which trained nine PAs, fourteen physicians, and a behavioralist with at least two years of post-graduate clinical experience in six content pillars: quality improvement (QI), wellness and burnout, mental health, social determinants of health, medical education, and substance use disorders. The fellowship included a recurring schedule of monthly activities in self-study, lectures, mentoring, and community expert evening discussions. Evaluation of the fellowship included pre, post, and one-year follow-up self-assessments of knowledge, attitudes, and confidence in the six content areas, pre- and post- wellness surveys, lecture and discussion evaluations, and midpoint and exit focus groups.ResultsFellows showed significant improvement in 24 of 28 self-assessment items across all content areas post-fellowship, and in 16 of 18 items one-year post-fellowship. They demonstrated reductions in emotional exhaustion and depersonalization post-fellowship and increased confidence in working in interprofessional teams post-fellowship which persisted on one-year follow-up assessments. All fellows completed QI projects and four presented their work at national conferences. Focus group data showed that fellows experienced collaborative, meaningful professional development that was relevant to their clinical work. They appreciated the flexible format and inclusion of interprofessional community experts in evening discussions.ConclusionsThe CPCC fellowship fostered an interprofessional community of practice that provided an effective IPE experience for physicians and PAs. The learning activities, and particularly the community expert discussions, allowed for a flexible, relevant experience, resulting in personal and professional growth along with increased confidence working within interprofessional teams.

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.

Culture change and lessons learned from ten years in the VA centers of excellence in primary care education

BackgroundTeam-based care is critical to achieving health care value while maximizing patient outcomes. Few descriptions exist of graduate-level team training interventions and practice models. Experience from the multisite, decade-long Veterans Affairs (VA) Centers of Excellence in Primary Care Education provides lessons for developing internal medicine training experiences in interprofessional clinical learning environments.MethodsA review of multisite demonstration project transforming traditional silo-model training to interprofessional team-based primary care. Using iterative quality improvement approaches, sites evaluated curricula with learner, faculty and staff feedback. Learner- and patient-level outcomes and organizational culture change were examined using mixed methods, within and across sites. Participants included more than 1600 internal medicine, nurse practitioner, nursing, pharmacy, psychology, social work and physical therapy trainees. This took place in seven academic university-affiliated VA primary care clinics with patient centered medical home designResultsEach site developed innovative design and curricula using common competencies of shared decision making, sustained relationships, performance improvement and interprofessional collaboration. Educational strategies included integrated didactics, workplace collaboration and reflection. Sites shared implementation best practices and outcomes. Cross-site evaluations of the impacts of these educational strategies indicated improvements in trainee clinical knowledge, team-based approaches to care and interest in primary care careers. Improved patient outcomes were seen in the quality of chronic disease management, reduction in polypharmacy, and reduced emergency department and hospitalizations. Evaluations of the culture of training environments demonstrated incorporation and persistence of interprofessional learning and collaboration.ConclusionsAligning education and practice goals with cross-site collaboration created a robust interprofessional learning environment. Improved trainee/staff satisfaction and better patient care metrics supports use of this model to transform ambulatory care training.Trial registrationThis evaluation was categorized as an operation improvement activity by the Office of Academic Affairs based on Veterans Health Administration Handbook 1058.05, in which information generated is used for business operations and quality improvement (Title 38 Code of Federal Regulations Part 16 (38 CFR 16.102(l)). The overall project was subject to administrative oversight rather Human Subjects Institutional Review Board, as such informed consent was waived as part of the project implementation and evaluation.

Quality and Quantity of Occupational and Physical Therapy Services in a Free Interprofessional Primary Care Clinic

Quality and Quantity of Occupational and Physical Therapy Services in a Free Interprofessional Primary Care Clinic

Influence of Implementing an Opioid Stewardship Team in the Primary Care Setting.

Background: The Updated 2022 Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Clinical Practice Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Pain highlights the importance of shared decision making and provider-patient relationships. Interprofessional teams may be helpful in supporting providers and patients. A large, multi-site primary care department created an interprofessional primary care opioid stewardship team to target high-risk opioid prescribing and improve practice alignment with CDC recommendations through dashboard reporting and education. Objective: The primary objective was to assess reduction in morphine milligram equivalents (MME) from baseline to 6 months in patients on opioid doses ≥90 MME daily. The secondary objective assessed change in number of naloxone prescriptions from baseline to 6 months after education. Methods: The study was conducted across 30 primary care sites of one health system within Michigan from 2021 to 2022. The opioid stewardship team included 2 physicians, 3 pharmacists, a project operations manager, and IT support. Interventions included creation of a dashboard, provider education, dissemination of policy, and chart audits. Using the electronic health record (EHR) dashboard, patients on chronic opioid doses ≥90 MME daily or missing an active naloxone prescription were identified. Primary care providers (PCP) were provided with an individual list of patients for whom to consider intervention. Support was provided for prescribers, but the team did not interact with patients directly. Results: Baseline analysis identified 290 patients on doses ≥ 90 MME daily. There was reduction in median daily MME from baseline to 6 months in the overall study population (140 [105 240] vs 120 [90 240], P < .001). At 6 months 181 (62.4%) of patients had been given a prescription for naloxone versus 108 (37.2%) who had one at baseline, P < .001. Conclusion: The initiatives implemented by the opioid stewardship team resulted in statistically significant reductions in MME and an increase in naloxone prescribing from baseline to 6 months post-education.

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.&#x0D; 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:&#x0D; 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.&#x0D; 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&#x0D; 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.&#x0D; 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.&#x0D; 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.&#x0D; The target audience: patients, families, interprofessional primary care providers, specialists, home care and community providers, and hospitals.&#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D;

Team Primary Care: Training for Transformation in Canada

To address the growing crisis in primary care access and sustainability in Canada, Team Primary Care brings together 65+ health professional organizations to enhance the capacity of interprofessional, comprehensive primary care through improved training for practitioners, supports for teams and tools for planners and employers.&#x0D; Team Primary Care targets the primary care workforce including family physicians, primary care nurse practitioners, family practice nurses, pharmacists, physician assistants, mental health practitioners, traditional Indigenous Healers, and others. The project focuses on those involved in the training of the primary care workforce, including funders, accreditors, learning organizations, health professional associations and government.&#x0D; Team Primary Care endeavours to enhance interprofessional comprehensive primary care training; improve labour market integration for Indigenous and internationally educated practitioners, maximizing their utilization; create enabling environments for diverse, healthy, and resilient team members to practice at their optimal scope and capacity; and demonstrate, spread and scale leading integrated primary care workforce planning practices, tools, and resources.&#x0D; To date, Team Primary Care has launched eight primary care practitioner specific curricular development projects in parallel with workplace integrated learning demonstration projects, offered team-based training for primary care teams using cross cutting tools and supports to enhance interprofessional, equitable and inclusive, culturally safe care aimed at improving access to care and provider well-being. By March 2023 we anticipate an additional 12 curricular projects and 20+ demonstration projects will be ready for implementation. Unique to this project is its integrative approach and intentional change strategy that has been embedded in its design. In addition, an extensive process, outcome, and meta evaluation will have been carried out throughout the length of the project. Between now and March 2023, the aim is for the project to enhance primary care capacity enabling more Canadians to have access to an integrated primary care workforce that is inclusive of a broader range of practitioners working in teams that embed the principles of interprofessionalism, equity, diversity, inclusion, accessibility, psychological health and safety, reconciliation, and social accountability through enhanced and aligned training.&#x0D; The integrative and inclusive approach taken by Team Primary Care provides a unique country-wide case study of how to rapidly use education as a vehicle to quickly catalyze practice reform in primary care. Shifting the mental model towards team-based care inclusive of a broad range of primacy care practitioners committed to the delivery of comprehensive primary care was a major focus of the communication plan used. The cross-cutting tools developed are transferable to teams included but not limited to primary care and for both the Canadian context and beyond.&#x0D; The development of a sustainable interprofessional primary care training table is envisioned with a repository of team training tools and resources for use by a prepared primary care workforce prepared to scale and spread team-based care across the healthcare system. This case study will offer learned lessons on how education can be a critical enabler for primary care system reform.

Pharmacists Colocated With Primary Care Physicians: Understanding Delivery of Interprofessional Primary Care.

While evidence supports interprofessional primary care models that include pharmacists, the extent to which pharmacists are working in primary care and the factors associated with colocation is unknown. This study aimed to analyze the physical colocation of pharmacists with primary care providers (PCPs) and examine predictors associated with colocation. This is a retrospective cross-sectional study of pharmacists and PCPs with individual National Provider Identifiers in the National Plan and Provider Enumeration System's database. Pharmacist and PCP practice addresses of the health care professionals were geocoded, and distances less than 0.1 miles were considered physically colocated. In all, 502,373 physicians and 221,534 pharmacists were included. When excluding hospital-based pharmacists, 1 in 10 (11%) pharmacists were colocated with a PCP. Pharmacists in urban settings were more likely to be colocated than those in rural areas (OR=1.32, CI: 1.26-1.38). Counties with the highest proportion of licensed pharmacists per 100,000 people in the county had higher colocation (OR=1.38, CI: 1.32-1.45). Colocation was significantly higher in states with an expanded scope of practice (OR 1.37, CI: 1.32-1.42) and those that have expanded Medicaid (OR 1.07, CI: 1.03-1.11). Colocated pharmacists more commonly worked in larger physician practices. Although including pharmacists on primary care teams improves clinical outcomes, reduces health care costs, and enhances patient and provider experience, colocation appears to be unevenly dispersed across the United States, with lower rates in rural areas. As the integration of pharmacists in primary care continues to expand, knowing the prevalence and facilitators of growth will be helpful to policymakers, researchers, and clinical administrators.

Implementing a primary care simulation to improve interprofessional competencies

Learners from six health professions programs (athletic training, nursing, optometry, osteopathic medicine, pharmacy, and physical therapy) participated in a telehealth primary care simulation. The learners’ purpose of the simulated visit was to evaluate and manage a patient experiencing complications of type 2 diabetes, including vision changes, frequent falls, and a foot wound. ObjectivesThe objectives of the activity were to: 1) assess changes in perceived interprofessional abilities in the areas of communication, collaboration, roles and responsibilities, patient/family-centered care, conflict management and resolution, and team functioning, and 2) assess learner perceptions regarding the value of the interprofessional primary care simulation. ActivityLearners were divided into teams with 1–2 learners from each program (8–9 total learners per team) and each team interacted face-to-face in small individual classrooms. Trained faculty served as simulation facilitators in each classroom. Each team conducted a two-phase videoconference encounter with a trained standardized patient and family member. Between the two phases, each team conducted an interprofessional care planning session. Learner evaluation of the exercise used two validated tools, the revised Interprofessional Collaborative Competency Attainment Survey (ICCAS-R), and the modified Simulation Effectiveness Tool (SET-M) to inform the faculty. FindingsPaired t-test values on all 20 items of the ICCAS-R indicated statistically significant results (p < .001), and SET-M results indicated that over 88 % of learners strongly agreed or somewhat agreed with questions pertaining to their satisfaction with the activity. Findings from this activity can be used by other educational institutions to develop a primary care simulation based on the health professions available, thus enhancing interprofessional learning opportunities and overcoming a common barrier of limited clinical sites for interprofessional practice.

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.

Impact on diabetes outcomes and team skills of integrating dietetic services into interprofessional education and teamwork in primary care.

Diabetes is a complex disease requiring daily self-management of diet and activity, yet many patients do not receive recommended self-management education, medical nutrition therapy, or team-based care that includes registered dietitian nutritionists (RDNs). Such service deficits contribute to challenges in meeting combined diabetes care goals. We evaluated the impact of adding RDN-supervised dietetic interns to an established primary care interprofessional education/teamwork model on patients' clinical outcomes and health professions students' team skills. Electronic health records were retrospectively analyzed to evaluate the impact of interprofessional care teams including dietetic practitioners on patient outcomes and compare these changes to outcomes achieved with the previous model without such participation. Pre-test/post-test surveys were used to evaluate health professions students' self-reported changes in team skills. Patient outcomes for glycemic control, systolic blood pressure, triglycerides, and depression improved significantly, and emergency department visits decreased by 79% after interprofessional care. Average hemoglobin A1c levels decreased from 11.6% to 8.3% (p < .001), an additional 1.1% reduction over previous results, following incorporation of dietetic practitioners. Students reported increased team skills after interprofessional care participation. Health professions and dietetic program faculty should collaborate to develop interprofessional best practice primary care models for patients with diabetes.

Antidepressant Prescription Behavior Among Primary Care Clinician Providers After an Interprofessional Primary Care Psychiatric Training Program

Primary care providers (PCPs) are increasingly called upon to screen for and treat depression. However, PCPs often lack the training to diagnose and treat depression. We designed an innovative 12-month evidence and mentorship-based primary care psychiatric training program entitled the University of California, Irvine (UCI) School of Medicine Train New Trainers Primary Care Psychiatry (TNT PCP) Fellowship and examined whether this training impacted clinician prescription rates for antidepressants. We retrieved information on 18,844 patients and 192 PCPs from a publicly insured health program in Southern California receiving care between 2017 and 2021. Of the 192 PCPs, 42 received TNT training and 150 did not. We considered a patient as exposed to the provider’s TNT treatment if they received care from a provider after the provider completed the 1-year fellowship. We utilized the number of antidepressant prescriptions per patient, per quarter-year as the dependent variable. Linear regression models controlled for provider characteristics and time trends. Robustness checks included clustering patients by provider identification. After PCPs completed TNT training, “exposed” patients received 0.154 more antidepressant prescriptions per quarter-year relative to expected levels (p < 0.01). Clustering of standard errors by provider characteristics reduced precision of the estimate (p < 0.10) but the direction and magnitude of the results were unchanged. Early results from the UCI TNT PCP Fellowship demonstrate enhanced antidepressant prescription behavior in PCPs who have undergone TNT training. A novel, and relatively low-cost, clinician training program holds the potential to empower PCPs to optimally deliver depression treatment.

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.