Support players needed to improve primary care delivery

(HealthDay)—Practice facilitators and care managers can play important roles in improving delivery of primary care, according to a study published in the January/February issue of the Annals of Family Medicine.

Erin Fries Taylor, Ph.D., from Mathematica Policy Research in Washington, D.C., and colleagues assessed the role that practice facilitators and care managers can play in redesigning primary care and improving care delivery.

The researchers say that facilitators, acting as quality improvement coaches, assist practices with coordinating their quality improvement activities. They reflect a systems-level approach to improving quality, safety, and implementation of evidence-based practices. Care managers, on the other hand, provide direct patient care by coordinating care and helping patients navigate the system. They improve access for patients and communicate across the care team.

"These complementary roles aim to help primary care practices deliver coordinated, accessible, comprehensive, and patient-centered care," the authors write.