This compendium report is the last publication of the research series Improving Primary Health Care Through Collaboration, which includes: Briefing 1—Current Knowledge About Interprofessional Teams in Canada (October 2012); Briefing 2—Barriers to Successful Interprofessional Teams (October 2012); and Briefing 3—Measuring the Missed Opportunity (May 2013).

This final report uses three research approaches to offering recommendations to improve interprofessional primary care in Canada. Nine recommendations for action were developed to help government decision-makers, primary care organization and team leaders, care providers and patients get the most out of health care teams.

Cette publication comprend un résumé en français.

Over the past decade, there has been increased uptake of the interdisciplinary team model for delivering primary care services. However, so much more could be done.

This final report of the research series Improving Primary Care Through Collaboration provides guidance for optimizing interprofessional and collaborative primary care. Optimizing IPC teams can help make the health care system more sustainable by reducing the costs of chronic conditions in other parts of the health care system. Such teams can also expand Canada’s labour force by extending Canadians’ lives and improving their quality of life.

Based on findings from key informant interviews, a document review, and a stakeholder survey, we developed nine recommendations for optimizing IPC teams in Canada.

Other briefings in the Improving Primary Health Care Through Collaboration series:

• Briefing 1—Current Knowledge About Interprofessional Teams in Canada
• Briefing 2—Barriers to Successful Interprofessional Teams
• Briefing 3—Measuring the Missed Opportunity

Executive Summary

Résumé

Chapter 1—Introduction

Chapter 2—Methodology

• Key Informant Interviews
• Document Review
• The Interprofessional Primary Care (IPC) Stakeholder Survey
• Case Studies
• Information Synthesis

Chapter 3—Recommendations to Support and Improve Interprofessional Collaboration in Primary Care Teams

• Case Studies: Governance and Funding
• Case Studies: Health Services and Accessibility
• Case Studies: Infrastructure

Chapter 4—Case Studies of High-Functioning IPC Team Models

Chapter 5—Conclusion: Improving Care Delivery While Reining in Costs

• The Role of the Federal, Provincial, and Territorial Governments
• The Role of IPC Administrative Leaders
• The Role of Providers and Patients
• IPC Teams Will Continue to Evolve

Appendix A—Optimizing Interprofessional Primary Care Teams Stakeholder Survey Results

• Survey Questions

Appendix B—High-Functioning Interprofessional Primary Care Team Case Studies

• Family First Health Centre (FFHC) and Family First Family Health Team (FFFHT) (Orleans, Ontario)
• Slave Lake Family Care Clinic (Slave Lake, Alberta)
• Clinica Family Health Services (Denver, Colorado)

Appendix C—Bibliography