Diabetes Flow Sheet Use Associated With Guideline Adherence

PURPOSE Many intervention studies have found that flow sheet use improves patient care by drawing attention to a particular medical condition or needed preventive service and encouraging an immediate response from the health care professional; however, there are no studies examining how often flow sheets are used for diabetes in primary care practice. We assessed the relationship between diabetes flow sheet use and diabetes patient care outcomes in the everyday practice of primary care

Electronic Medical Records and Diabetes Quality of Care: Results From a Sample of Family Medicine Practices

PURPOSE Care of patients with diabetes requires management of complex clinical information, which may be improved by the use of an electronic medical record (EMR); however, the actual relationship between EMR usage and diabetes care quality in primary care settings is not well understood. We assessed the relationship between EMR usage and diabetes care quality in a sample of family medicine practices

Strategies for conducting complex clinical trials in diverse community practices.

BACKGROUND: Closing the gap between evidence and practice demands interventions targeting the whole practice. These system level interventions require more complex designs and require greater practice involvement. Current descriptions of trials use research designs that either limit practice involvement or make use of large health system resources. OBJECTIVE: To share insights on retention of practices in a complex clinical trial aimed at improving care of multiple chronic conditions in 60 diverse community primary care practices not supported by large health system resources. RESEARCH DESIGN: Qualitative cross case analysis of field notes from meetings of a diverse research team. RESULTS: Five interrelated factors were found to be important to the success of the study implementation process: (1) developing structure and activities for relationship building; (2) attention to consistent communication; (3) timely information sharing; (4) evolution of a cross-functional research team; (5) provision of technical assistance. Specific strategies were identified to overcome challenges to study implementation. CONCLUSIONS: Diverse community primary care practices without support from health system resources will complete participation in complex trials. Researchers need not avoid answering questions requiring complex study designs; however, successful implementation requires an individualized approach tailored to the needs and characteristics of each practice

Creating and Sustaining Care Teams in Primary Care: Perspectives From Innovative Patient-Centered Medical Homes.

OBJECTIVE: To learn from the experiences of innovative primary care practices that have successfully developed care teams. RESEARCH DESIGN: A 2½-day working conference was convened with representatives from 10 innovative primary care practices, content experts, and researchers to discuss experiences of developing care teams. Qualitative data included observation notes, transcripts of conference sessions and interviews, and narrative summaries of innovations. Case summaries of practices and an analysis matrix were created to identify common themes. PARTICIPANTS: Ten practices known nationally for innovations in team-based care participated in the conference represented by 1 to 2 practice members. RESULTS: Two domains emerged related to creating effective teams and funding them. Participants emphasized the importance of making practice values explicit and involving everyone in the change process, standardizing routine processes, and mitigating resistance. They also highlighted that team-based care adds comprehensiveness, not necessarily productivity. They, thus, highlighted the need for a long-term financial vision, including resourcefulness and alternate funding. CONCLUSIONS: Team-based care is possible and valuable in primary care. It is difficult to develop and sustain, however, and requires dedicated time and resources. The challenges these highly motivated practices described raise the question of feasibility for more average practices in the current funding environment

Maximizing the Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) by Choosing Words Wisely.

BACKGROUND: Culture is transmitted through language and reflects a group\u27s values, yet much of the current language used to describe the new patient-centered medical home (PCMH) is a carryover from the traditional, physician-centric model of care. This language creates a subtle yet powerful force that can perpetuate the status quo, despite transformation efforts. This article describes new terminology that some innovative primary care practices are using to support the transformational culture of the PCMH. METHODS: Data come from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality-funded Working Conference for PCMH Innovation 2013, which convened 10 innovative practices and interdisciplinary content experts to discuss innovative practice redesign. Session and interview transcripts were analyzed using a grounded theory approach to identify patterns and explore their significance. RESULTS: Language innovations are used by 5 practices. Carefully selected terms facilitate creative reimagining of traditional roles and spaces through connotations that highlight practice goals. Participants felt that the language used was important for reinforcing substantive changes. CONCLUSIONS: Reworking well-established vernacular requires openness to change. True transformation does not, however, occur through a simple relabeling of old concepts. New terminology must represent values to which practices genuinely aspire, although caution is advised when using language to support cultural and clinical change

A Typology of Primary Care Workforce Innovations in the United States Since 2000

PURPOSE: Innovative workforce models are being developed and implemented to meet the changing demands of primary care. A literature review was conducted to construct a typology of workforce models used by primary care practices. METHODS: Ovid Medline, CINAHL, and PsycInfo were used to identify published descriptions of the primary care workforce that deviated from what would be expected in the typical practice in the year 2000. Expert consultants identified additional articles that would not show up in a regular computerized search. Full texts of relevant articles were read and matrices for sorting articles were developed. Each article was reviewed and assigned to one of 18 cells in the matrices. Articles within each cell were then read again to identify patterns and develop an understanding of the full spectrum of workforce innovation within each category. RESULTS: This synthesis led to the development of a typology of workforce innovations represented in the literature. Many workforce innovations added personnel to existing practices, whereas others sought to retrain existing personnel or even develop roles outside the traditional practice. Most of these sought to minimize the impact on the existing practice roles and functions, particularly that of physicians. The synthesis also identified recent innovations which attempted to fundamentally transform the existing practice, with transformation being defined as a change in practice members\u27 governing variables or values in regard to their workforce role. CONCLUSIONS: Most conceptualizations of the primary care workforce described in the literature do not reflect the level of innovation needed to meet the needs of the burgeoning numbers of patients with complex health issues, the necessity for roles and identities of physicians to change, and the call for fundamentally redesigned practices. However, we identified 5 key workforce innovation concepts that emerged from the literature: team care, population focus, additional resource support, creating workforce connections, and role change