Enhancing interprofessional collaboration for unattached patients in primary care

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Primary Care Medicine
• Interprofessional Education

Background:

• Unattached patients in Quebec's primary care system face disparities in comprehensive care.
• Lack of regular primary care provider attachment impacts patient health outcomes.
• Existing healthcare models struggle to provide consistent, integrated care for all patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate an interprofessional collaboration initiative aimed at improving care for unattached patients.
• To assess the impact of a shared vision and integrated professional teams on care quality.
• To identify challenges and opportunities for enhancing primary care services for underserved populations.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of an interprofessional collaboration model at Clinique Indigo.
• Active engagement of physicians and non-physician health professionals in patient care.
• Monitoring of comprehensive care provision rates before and after the initiative.

Main Results:

• Comprehensive care provision for unattached patients increased significantly, from 13% to 43%.
• Active engagement of diverse healthcare professionals in patient care was observed.
• The initiative demonstrated the effectiveness of a common vision in improving care quality.

Conclusions:

• Interprofessional collaboration is a viable strategy to improve comprehensive care for unattached patients.
• Addressing professional turnover and primary care training gaps is crucial for sustainable healthcare improvements.
• Expanded interprofessional approaches can mitigate systemic care disparities in universal healthcare settings.