Primary care has expanded well beyond diagnosing and treating acute illness. Today’s practices are expected to provide preventive care, manage chronic disease, integrate behavioral health, coordinate care across settings, address social needs, improve population health, and build long-term relationships with patients and families. Practices are expected to deliver increasingly comprehensive care, yet payment policies have not supported the full range of capabilities required to provide it.
The following report identifies interprofessional capacity – the people and staff time required to manage the volume and range of work – and the capabilities – the knowledge, skills, expertise, and competencies required – to perform the functions expected of primary care. It translates these findings into staffing recommendations and cost estimates for practices serving different populations.