The Role and Impact of Interdisciplinary Support Teams in Primary Care Settings: A Narrative Review

Authors: Maha Mosleh Albugami, Amani Abdulmohsen Alshammari, Lila Muteb Almutairi, Sabah Jarrah Al Anazi, Awatif Mohammed Darwish, Dalal Mohammed Alotaibi, Aishah Ali Alkhameeas, Sarah Mohammed Alghamdi, Sarah Abdulhadi AlDosari

Country: Saudi Arabia

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Abstract: Primary care settings face demands to deliver efficient, coordinated, patient-centered care. Interdisciplinary support teams integrating patient services technicians, health administration technicians, medical secretaries, social workers, and nurses have emerged to enhance care delivery. This narrative review explores team members' roles and evaluates their impact on patient experience, care coordination, quality metrics, and operational efficiency. Evidence suggests teams improve patient satisfaction regarding access, communication, and support. They modestly enhance quality metrics like medication adherence and preventive screening. Operational benefits include higher throughput, reduced wait times, and improved billing. Best practices recommend team meetings, shared documentation, communication protocols, collaborative care planning, consistent education, and performance monitoring. Challenges exist around communication and workflow optimization. However, interdisciplinary teams present opportunities for cohesive, patient-centered delivery and streamlined operations, aligning with promoting interprofessional collaboration to meet evolving needs. Further research on long-term outcomes and cost-effectiveness is warranted, but teams demonstrate potential to enhance primary care's efficiency, quality, and experience.

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Paper Id: 231189

Published On: 2014-01-15

Published In: Volume 2, Issue 1, January-February 2014

Cite This: The Role and Impact of Interdisciplinary Support Teams in Primary Care Settings: A Narrative Review - Maha Mosleh Albugami, Amani Abdulmohsen Alshammari, Lila Muteb Almutairi, Sabah Jarrah Al Anazi, Awatif Mohammed Darwish, Dalal Mohammed Alotaibi, Aishah Ali Alkhameeas, Sarah Mohammed Alghamdi, Sarah Abdulhadi AlDosari - IJIRMPS Volume 2, Issue 1, January-February 2014.

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