Exploring Interprofessional Primary Care (IPPC) teams' impact on chronic disease management: a narrative review on...

Interprofessional care involves two or more professionals from different disciplines working in partnership to achieve a common goal and deliver high-quality care. In primary care, this can be implemented through Interprofessional Primary Care (IPPC) teams, which are a recommended approach to support chronic disease management. However, there is a scarcity of literature describing the organizational and interpersonal features that facilitate successful IPPC team outcomes, particularly in the field of chronic disease management. This review examined guiding features, and clinical, humanistic, and economic outcomes related to IPPC teams and chronic disease management. MEDLINE, Scopus, CINAHL, Embase, and The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews were searched for full-text English articles from 2000-2023. Primary research studies evaluating outcomes related to IPPC teams providing chronic disease management interventions were included. 24 studies on IPPC ignterventions were included. 15 reported humanistic outcomes, 12 studies reported clinical outcomes, and 3 studies reported economic outcomes. IPPC teams were impactful in improving outcomes for patients and providers. Studies also reported specific interactional components (such as communication, knowledge sharing, and shared decision-making) and practice features (such as team meetings, patient education, asynchronous care organization) that facilitated successful interventions. Implementation of IPPC teams is complex owing to the heterogeneity of primary care contexts. IPPC teams can demonstrate benefits clinically and for patient/provider satisfaction. Organizational features such as structured team and patient interactions, clear role division, and a culture of mutual respect are valuable to improve communication and care coordination in chronic disease management.