Resource Center

The Institute of Medicine explores the existing evidence-base related to the education of health professionals in interdisciplinary teams, the educational and regulatory barriers to incorporating interdisciplinary teams in the academic and continuing education settings, proposed actions to overcome these barriers, and model schools or educational programs using interdisciplinary teams.

This article by Beth Rosenthal, PhD, MPH, MBA (ACCAHC Assistant Director) and Anthony Lisi, DC (ACCAHC Clinical Working Group member), analyzes the components of various integrative medicine-related definitions published by a range of well-known sources. A group of eleven themes emerged. The most common elements included whole person focus, evidence-informed, optimal health/wellness, and combination of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) with conventional medicine. Differences existed with respect to terms such as modality/therapy versus profession/discipline.

This project, engaged with Michael Goldstein, PhD, of the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, examines the current and prospective roles of doctors of chiropractic, naturopathic physicians, doctors and practitioners of acupuncture and Oriental medicine and direct-entry midwives in meeting nation's primary care needs.

This Robert Wood Johnson Foundation report profiles the experiences of more than 20 hospitals and community health centers that utilize interprofessional collaboration to achieve better patient outcomes. The report, "Lessons From the Field: Promising Interprofessional Collaboration Practices," helps health care entities assess the potential benefits of interprofessional collaboration and offers a road map to implementing the approach.

In the follow-up to The Volume-to-Value Revolution, Tom Main and Adrian Slywotzky describe how seemingly unrelated phenomena—high-tech health entrepreneurs, personal fitness devices, retail clinics in big-box stores, “smart care” teams, and IBM Watson—are creating a new health market where demand trumps supply.

The Future of the Nursing Workforce: National- and State-Level Projections, 2012-2025 presents projections on the supply and demand of registered nurses (RNs) and licensed practical/vocational nurses (LPNs) for the U.S. in 2025.

This white paper argues in favor of a transformation of structure and function of governance for community health systems destined for higher levels of clinical and business model integration. A principal goal of these recommended transformations is enhancing the performance of integrated health systems as “learning organizations” that are able to acquire knowledge and innovate fast enough to survive in a rapidly changing environment. 

Many experts see PAs as important contributors to emerging strategies to deliver health care more efficiently and effectively, but important barriers exist that could slow the growth of the profession. For example, state laws and regulations may not be broad enough to encompass the professional competencies of PAs. In addition, state statutes and regulations impose widely diverse restrictions on physicians’ ability to delegate authority to PAs, which, in some instances, are overly strict.

Pharmacists practice in a variety of health care settings. Although they are most often associated with dispensing medications in retail pharmacies, their role is evolving to include providing direct care to patients as members of integrated health care provider teams.

One way states could increase access to primary care for their residents is to consider easing their scope of practice restrictions and modifying their reimbursement policies to increase the role of nurse practitioners in providing primary care, according to a new paper released by the National Governors Association (NGA).