Building Teams in Primary Care: Lessons from 15 Case Studies, Thomas Bodenheimer, M.D., UCSF School of Medicine
In 2007, Dr Thomas Bodenheimer, from the UCSF School of Medicine, authored a report on the effective use of teams and non-medical staff in primary care. The report suggests that non-medical staff can be effectively used to undertake simple clinical tasks and manage chronic disease by implementing clinical protocols and standing orders. These actions improved capacity and patient outcomes in the report’s 15 case studies from across the United States. The case studies demonstrate that teams are a necessary and effective foundation upon which other innovations - such as the chronic care model, advanced access, group visits, and electronic encounters - can be pursued. Case studies 1, 9, 14 and 15 outline how Medical Assistants have been effectively used in primary care teams.

“Medical assistants - A primary care workforce solution?”, Australian Family Physician, August 2009

Podcast: Medical Assistants… developing a role in primary care, AFP audio, August 2009