I just finished reading “Progress and Promise: Profiles in Interprofessional Health Training to Deliver Patient-Centered Primary Care.” This cutting-edge report was published this past December by the Patient-Centered Primary Care Collaborative. In order to achieve the Triple Aim of better health, better care, and lower costs, “educational reform must incorporate practice redesign, and delivery system change must include a central educational mission if we are to achieve enduring transformation.”
Nationwide, there are over 130 medicine, physician assistant, nursing, pharmacy, psychology, social work interprofessional programs; seven are highlighted in this report. Although curriculums differ, they all share many of these elements: focus on patient-centered care, integration of behavioral health, cultural sensitivity and community focus, development of effective team practice, dispersed team leadership, and continuous quality improvement.
I am proud to say that my alma mater, George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences envisioned the future of health care early on and has always integrated physician, physician assistant, and nurse practitioner training. As the Triple Aim continues to become a reality, we will all be better served as more professional programs focus on these elements and all practitioners are trained to work together on behalf of patients. InnovaHealth Innovations is dedicated to helping medical practices achieve the goals of the Triple Aim.