Exploring Occupational Therapists' Experiences in U.S. Primary Care Settings: A Qualitative Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 76 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie A. Rouch ◽  
Tara C. Klinedinst ◽  
Jennifer S. White ◽  
Natalie E. Leland
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Occupational Therapy ◽  
Occupational Therapists ◽  
The United States ◽  
Care Team ◽  
Primary Care Team ◽  
Patient Centered ◽  
Care Experience ◽  
Centered Care ◽  
And Behavior

Importance: Occupational therapy's scope of practice aligns with the goals of comprehensive primary care set forth by the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Pub. L. 111-148). To successfully integrate occupational therapy into primary care, we must understand occupational therapy practitioners' experiences in this setting. Objective: To explore facilitators of, barriers to, and recommendations for integrating occupational therapy into primary care. Design: A descriptive qualitative design that incorporated semistructured interviews, member checking sessions, and deductive thematic analysis. Interviews were structured to capture occupational therapists' experiences of and recommendations for practicing in primary care. Setting: Primary care. Participants: A purposive sample of licensed occupational therapists with at least 6 mo primary care experience in the United States. Results: Seven participants reported 1 to 8 yr of experience in primary care. Four themes emerged that contextualized the experiences of occupational therapists in primary care. The first theme captured the process of gaining entry onto the primary care team. Once structurally embedded on the team, the second and third themes, respectively, captured barriers and facilitators to navigating team-based care and providing patient-centered care. The fourth theme reflected participants' vision and ideas of how to expand reach nationally to promote consistent integration of occupational therapy into primary care. Conclusion and Relevance: Given the important role of an interprofessional primary care team in improving population health, this study is timely in that it explored occupational therapists' experiences in this emerging practice area. What This Article Adds: Occupational therapists in this study used their skills, resources, and networks to become part of a primary care team. They indicated that they contributed to positive outcomes through working with patients on self-management, functional problem solving, and behavior change.

Patient-Centered Care in a Medical Home

2011 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Colette Carver ◽  
Anne Jessie
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Medical Home ◽  
The United States ◽  
Patient Centered Care ◽  
Patient Centered Medical Home ◽  
Patient Centered ◽  
Patient Centered Medical Homes ◽  
Medical Homes ◽  
Centered Care ◽  
Medical Home Model

There is general consensus that our current healthcare delivery system will not be able to supply an adequate workforce, contain costs, and meet the ever-increasing chronic-care needs of the growing and aging population in the United States (US). Some of the major challenges to the U.S. healthcare system are faced by those on the front lines, namely the healthcare workers in primary care. Part of the emerging solution for primary care is the adoption of the Patient-Centered Medical Home Model. The intent of this model is to provide coordinated and comprehensive care rooted in a strong collaborative relationship. Carilion Clinic in Southwestern Virginia is implementing this patient-centered model in which a proactive, multidisciplinary care team collectively takes responsibility for each patient. In this article we will elaborate on the concepts of patient-centered care and patient-centered medical homes, after which we will offer an exemplar describing the process that Carilion Clinic is using to establish patient-centered medical homes throughout their primary care departments. Limitations of the Patient-Centered Medical Home Model will also be discussed.

scholarly journals Patient centeredness: The perspectives of uninsured primary care patients in the United States

2019 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Akiko Kamimura ◽  
Shannon Weaver ◽  
Bianca Armenta ◽  
Bethany Gull ◽  
Jeanie Ashby
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Primary Care ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Patient Involvement ◽  
The United States ◽  
Patient Centered Care ◽  
Patient Centeredness ◽  
Patient Centered ◽  
Centered Care ◽  
Primary Care Patients

Introduction Patient-centered care has become increasingly important within the United States (US) healthcare system. Given that patient-centered care predicts patient satisfaction, health outcomes, and cost-effectiveness, it is of the utmost importance to study patient-centered care from the perspectives of marginalized populations including minorities, immigrants, and other underserved populations. The purpose of this study is to examine factors that affect underserved primary care patients’ perceptions of patient centeredness. Methods The data were cross-sectional and collected in Fall 2016. Free clinic patients (N = 723) completed a self-administered survey, which measures patient centeredness, patient involvement in care, and clinical empathy. Validated measures were part of the survey, and the internal consistency of scales was tested. The general linear model was performed to predict factors associated with patients’ perceptions of patient centeredness. Results Higher levels of perceived patient involvement in care and higher levels of perceived empathy in consultation are related to higher levels of patient centeredness. While better physical health is associated with higher levels of perceived empathy in consultation, high levels of emotional health and depression are not. Conclusions Patients’ perceptions of involvement and empathy are important factors for patient-centered care, although this study did not show causal directions among variables. Based on the findings of this study, it is recommended that future studies should focus on the following three points: (1) to develop and evaluate trainings for providers, (2) develop education classes for patients who utilize free clinics, (3) analyze how these programs affect patient-centered care and health outcomes.

scholarly journals The Evolving Role and Impact of Integrating Pharmacists into Primary Care Teams: Experience from Ontario, Canada

Pharmacy ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 234
Author(s):  
Manmeet Khaira ◽  
Annalise Mathers ◽  
Nichelle Benny Gerard ◽  
Lisa Dolovich
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Community Health Centers ◽  
Family Health ◽  
The United States ◽  
Care Team ◽  
Primary Care Team ◽  
Health Centers ◽  
Scope Of Practice ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Primary Care Teams

The movement to integrate pharmacists into primary care team-based settings is growing in countries such as Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. In the province of Ontario in Canada, almost 200 pharmacists have positions within interdisciplinary primary care team settings, including Family Health Teams and Community Health Centers. This article provides a narrative review of the evolving roles of pharmacists working in primary care teams, with a focus on evidence from Ontario, as well as drawing from other jurisdictions around the world. Pharmacists within primary care teams are uniquely positioned to facilitate the expansion of the pharmacist’s scope of practice, through a collaborative care model that leverages, integrates, and transforms the medication expertise of pharmacists into a reliable asset and resource for physicians, as well as improves the health outcomes for patients and optimizes healthcare utilization.

Opportunities for Occupational Therapy on a Primary Care Team

2017 ◽  
Vol 71 (4_Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 7111510170p1
Author(s):  
Jodi Winship ◽  
Carole Ivey
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Occupational Therapy ◽  
Care Team ◽  
Primary Care Team

scholarly journals Opportunities for Occupational Therapy on a Primary Care Team

2019 ◽  
Vol 73 (5) ◽  
pp. 7305185010p1 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jodi M. Winship ◽  
Carole K. Ivey ◽  
Rebecca S. Etz
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Occupational Therapy ◽  
Care Team ◽  
Primary Care Team

scholarly journals Family Physician’s and Primary Care Team’s Perspectives on Supporting Family Caregivers in Primary Care Networks

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (6) ◽  
pp. 3293
Author(s):  
Jasneet Parmar ◽  
Sharon Anderson ◽  
Marjan Abbasi ◽  
Saeed Ahmadinejad ◽  
Karenn Chan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Family Caregivers ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Family Physicians ◽  
Care Team ◽  
Primary Care Team ◽  
Caregiver Support ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Primary Care Teams ◽  
Support Family

Background. Research, practice, and policy have focused on educating family caregivers to sustain care but failed to equip healthcare providers to effectively support family caregivers. Family physicians are well-positioned to care for family caregivers. Methods. We adopted an interpretive description design to explore family physicians and primary care team members’ perceptions of their current and recommended practices for supporting family caregivers. We conducted focus groups with family physicians and their primary care team members. Results. Ten physicians and 42 team members participated. We identified three major themes. “Family physicians and primary care teams can be a valuable source of support for family caregivers” highlighted these primary care team members’ broad recognition of the need to support family caregiver’s health. “What stands in the way” spoke to the barriers in current practices that precluded supporting family caregivers. Primary care teams recommended, “A structured approach may be a way forward.” Conclusion. A plethora of research and policy documents recommend proactive, consistent support for family caregivers, yet comprehensive caregiver support policy remains elusive. The continuity of care makes primary care an ideal setting to support family caregivers. Now policy-makers must develop consistent protocols to assess, and care for family caregivers in primary care.

Primary Care Team of the Year: Primary care that makes a difference

BMJ ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 342 (apr12 1) ◽  
pp. d2118-d2118
Author(s):  
H. Macdonald ◽  
D. MacAuley
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Care Team ◽  
Primary Care Team

scholarly journals Concordance and Patient-Centered Care in Medicaid Enrollees’ Care Experience With Providers

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. 237437352110340
Author(s):  
Iwimbong Kum Ghabowen ◽  
Neeraj Bhandari
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Access ◽  
Patient Centered Care ◽  
Care Utilization ◽  
Federal State ◽  
Patient Centered ◽  
Care Experience ◽  
Centered Care ◽  
State And Local ◽  
Privately Insured

Patient-centered care is at the nexus of several overlapping institutional reforms to improve health care system performance. However, we know little regarding Medicaid patients’ experience with their doctors along several key dimensions of patient-centered care, and how their experience compares with Medicare and privately insured patients. We studied 4 outcomes using the 2017 National Health Interview Survey: patient–provider concordance on racial/sexual/cultural identity, respectful provider attitude, solicitation of patient opinion/beliefs during the care encounter, and patient-centered communication (PCC). The primary independent variable was Medicaid enrollee status. We dichotomized responses and ran multivariate logistic regressions for each type of care experience outcome, controlling for sociodemographic factors, health care access, and health care utilization of respondents. Compared to Medicare and privately insured enrollees, Medicaid enrollees reported much lower odds of seeing providers who treated them with respect (OR = 1.91, P < .001; OR = 1.62, P < .01) and who offered PCC (OR = 1.35, P < .05; OR = 1.35, P < .01), but similar odds of seeing concordant providers (OR = 0.78, P = .96; OR = 0.96, P = .72). Importantly, Medicaid enrollees reported higher odds of seeing providers who solicited their opinion/beliefs/preferences than their Medicare or privately insured counterparts (OR = 0.82, P < .05; OR = 0.87 P < .10). Medicaid enrollees report less patient-centered experiences in some important facets of their provider interaction than their Medicare or privately insured counterparts. Federal, state, and local policies and practices directed at improving these facets of patient–provider interaction are needed and should be aimed squarely at Medicaid providers, especially those working in geographic areas and settings with a disproportionate number of racial, gender, cultural, and linguistic minorities.

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