Care Coordination in Primary Care

Abstract

Background: Care coordination is an important strategy for addressing patient needs and improving outcomes of care. Purpose: The Minnesota Care Coordination Effectiveness Study sought to better understand the perspectives and experiences of clinicians/clinic leaders regarding the value, barriers, and facilitators for care coordination in primary care. Methods: We conducted semi-structured interviews with 18 clinic managers, physicians, and advanced practice clinicians. Data were analyzed using a directed content analysis approach. Results: Five themes arose in the interviews: financial issues were perceived as a primary barrier to care coordination; participants valued care coordination as an important asset; they employed significant variation in how care coordination was structured; they identified both medical and social needs of patients as important; and care coordinators’ background, experience, and integration were viewed as critical to program success. Conclusions: Care coordination received strong support from clinicians and clinic leaders who viewed it as a valuable component of successful care delivery.