Access and Continuity: A Multidisciplinary Education Workshop to Teach Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) Principles

Abstract

Introduction: As more practices move to patient-centered medical home (PCMH) models, future health care professionals must train to work in collaborative settings. We implemented a 3-hour workshop for multidisciplinary trainees on the PCMH principles of access and continuity based on the EFECT framework (eliciting a patient-centered narrative, facilitating an interprofessional team discussion, evaluating the clinical evidence, creating a shared care plan, and tracking outcomes).

Methods: Participants included internal medicine residents and medical, physician assistant (PA), and clinical psychology students. The workshop incorporated reflective activities identifying patient and provider health care delivery priorities, plus a PCMH presentation and group activities focusing on access and continuity. Evaluations were analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively.

Results: The workshop had 39 participants (seven physicians, one PA, one educator, one psychologist, three staff, nine residents, one PA student, one psychology extern, and 15 medical students). On a 0-10 Likert scale (0 = don't agree at all, 10 = completely agree), learners reported higher knowledge of PCMH principles (M = 8.8), feeling better prepared for PCMH work (M = 8.6), and having obtained real-world skills (M = 8.3). Open-ended responses describing the workshop's take-home message included the role of patient-centeredness in clinical redesign, the value of the multidisciplinary team in optimizing access and continuity, and how to use a quality improvement approach for access and continuity.

Discussion: This workshop increased PCMH-related knowledge and encouraged discussion of professional roles within the team. Learners recognized the benefits of team-based rather than provider-centric approaches to access and continuity.

Keywords: Access and Continuity of Care; Experiential Learning; Interdisciplinary Medicine; Internal Medicine; Interprofessional Education; Multidisciplinary Education; Patient-Centered Medical Home; Primary Care Training; Quality Improvement/Patient Safety.

Figure.. Quantitative evaluation data. Abbreviation: PCMH, patient-centered medical home. Error bars indicate one standard deviation.