High-Performing Primary Care Teams: Creating The Air Force Medical Home Advantage
Abstract
Healthcare institutions throughout the country are striving to become high-reliability organizations (HRO). These HROs promise to deliver better health, improved patient experience, and better value. A critical contributor to healthcare HROs is high-performing primary care teams. The Air Force Medical Service must establish an environment that allows for high- performing primary care teams to flourish. The ability for a team to adopt high-performance elements varies substantially and a review of the available healthcare and teamwork research as well as the doctrine, reports and policies of current Air Force primary care, spotlights many barriers to organizational transformation into high-performing teams and HROs. This paper argues that the AFMS should continue its transformation by addressing three barrier themes: (1) obstacles to team cohesion, (2) lack of consistent and effective communication, and (3) poor organizational support for teams which impedes full implementation and adoption by all members. A foundation of process trust through standardization, supported by a re-engineered training platform and enabled by an alignment of goals, incentives and outcomes, is key to creating the Air Force Medical Home-field advantage.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 17, 2015
- Accession Number
- ADA619414
Entities
People
- Theresa B. Goodman
Organizations
- Air War College