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Practice Transformation Under the University of Colorado's Primary Care Redesign Model
Peter Chabot Smith1, Corey Lyon2, Aimee F English2
1University of Colorado Department of Family Medicine, Aurora, Colorado peter.smith@ucdenver.edu.
Annals of Family Medicine
|August 14, 2019
Summary
The Primary Care Redesign (PCR) model improved access, quality, and clinician experience while reducing burnout. This team-based approach maintained staffing costs in family medicine practices.
Area of Science:
- Primary care practice transformation
- Team-based care models
- Healthcare quality improvement
Background:
- Implementing new care models is crucial for enhancing healthcare delivery.
- Family medicine practices face challenges in balancing access, quality, and cost.
- The Primary Care Redesign (PCR) model offers a potential solution.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the transformation experience of two family medicine practices adopting the PCR model.
- To assess the impact of PCR on access, quality, and patient/staff experience.
- To evaluate cost-effectiveness and clinician burnout.
Main Methods:
- Two family medicine practices implemented the PCR team-based model.
- The model involved increasing the medical assistant to clinician ratio and expanding MA roles.
- Data on access, quality metrics, costs, and experience were collected before and after implementation.
Main Results:
- Both practices saw improvements in total appointments and key quality metrics (hypertension, cancer screening, diabetes).
- Clinician experience improved, and burnout was significantly reduced in both practices.
- Staffing costs remained stable post-implementation after an initial ramp-up period.
Conclusions:
- The PCR model facilitates simultaneous improvements in quality, access, and clinician experience.
- Reduced clinician burnout is a key benefit of the PCR model.
- The PCR model demonstrates effectiveness in enhancing primary care without increasing costs.