Perceived Effectiveness of Home-Based Primary Care Teams in Veterans Health Administration

Previous studies have shown that staff perception of team effectiveness is related to better health outcomes in various care settings. This study focused on the Veterans Health Administration's Home-Based Primary Care (HBPC) program. We examined variations in HBPC interdisciplinary teamwork (IDT) and identified modifiable team and program characteristics that may influence staff perceptions of team effectiveness.

We used a broadly validated survey instrument to measure perceived team effectiveness, workplace conditions/resources, group culture, and respondents' characteristics. Surveys were initiated in January and completed in July, 2016.

Team membership rosters (n = 249) included 2,852 IDT members. The final analytical data set included 1,403 surveys (49%) from 221 (89%) teams. A generalized estimating equation model with logit link function, weighted by survey response rates, was used to examine factors associated with perceived team effectiveness.

Respondents who served as primary care providers (PCPs) were 8% more likely (p = .0044) to view team's performance as highly effective compared to other team members. Teams with nurse practitioners serving as team leader reported 6% higher likelihood of high-perceived team effectiveness (p = .0234). High team effectiveness was 13% more likely in sites where the predominant culture was characterized as group/developmental, and 7%-8% more likely in sites with lower environmental stress and better resources and staffing, respectively.

Team effectiveness is an important indirect measure of HBPC teams' function. HBPC teams should examine their predominant culture, workplace stress, resources and staffing, and PCP leadership model as part of their quality improvement efforts.