Exploring end-of-residency transitions in a VA Patient Aligned Care Team.

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Primary Care Medicine
• Team-Based Healthcare

Background:

• End-of-residency transitions commonly disrupt primary care continuity.
• Patient Aligned Care Teams (PACT) in Veterans Health Administration (VA) offer a framework for team-based care to address these disruptions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify team-based strategies for managing end-of-residency transitions within resident PACT continuity clinics.
• To assess the knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of non-physician PACT members and resident physicians regarding these transitions.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional survey was administered to resident physicians and non-physician PACT members.
• The study included 27 resident physicians and 24 non-physician PACT members at the Audie L. Murphy VA Hospital.

Main Results:

• High agreement (90%+) that residents should inform patients of transitions.
• Discrepancy in perceived responsibility for transition management between residents (52%) and non-physicians (38%).
• Strong support (80%) for formalized transition approaches, with 67% of non-physicians willing to support them; communication and relationships emerged as key themes.

Conclusions:

• PACT implementation reshapes team roles and relationships, potentially enabling the remaining team to manage resident transitions.
• Team-based solutions are crucial for mitigating transition-related disruptions.
• Enhancing communication and fostering effective team relationships are vital for successful patient care continuity during resident transitions.