Demand and Capacity for Interprofessional Teams
| In Part 1, we offered a thought experiment. A clinician’s panel of 2,000 patients generates a demand of 6,000 visits per year. Working 200 days per year and seeing 20 patients per day, the clinician has the capacity of 4,000 visits. Demand exceeds capacity and patient access is poor. |
| Now, assume that 1,000 of the visits are for diabetes, 1,000 for hypertension, and another 1,000 for uncomplicated back, knee, and shoulder pain. Imagine that registered nurses, pharmacists, and physical therapists can independently care for two-thirds of these visits, for a total of 2,000 non-clinician visits. Capacity increases to 4,000 plus 2,000. Capacity equals demand. Access has improved, and burnout has decreased. These numbers may not be realistic, but they make the point that interprofessional teams can improve access without increasing burnout. |