Seeing a possible trend toward benefit in A1c values in this short time frame helps support continuing and expanding case conferences at the Boise VAMC. The goals of these interprofessional case conferences include developing a proactive approach to identify high-risk patients to improve the care of these patients and increase use of more appropriate health care resources. Other outcomes currently being studied include the impact of PACT ICU presentations on health care use, the impact on alternate health care consult patterns, and trainee participant opinions. Future directions for the interprofessional case conferences include expansion to other nonacademic primary care teams. The benefit of PACT ICU case conferences also extends to the primary care trainees as they continue to learn how to best work with other HCPs as part of a team and how to use the resources available through these other health care disciplines.
Conclusions
Presentation at an interprofessional case conference was not associated with a statistically significant change in mean A1c or BP values in a small group of high-risk patients at the Boise VAMC PACT academic clinic. Although there was a trend toward a decrease in A1c values, it is difficult to determine whether there is a relation to the interprofessional case conferences. Interprofessional case conferences are still occurring at the Boise VAMC with efforts in place to incorporate concurrent PACT ICU outcomes data collection and further the educational goals of primary care trainees.
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to express their appreciation to Rick Tivis, MPH, and Tim Gordon, MA, MPH, MS, for their assistance in the analysis and collection of data for this study.