A February 2021 systematic review and meta-analysis in JAMA Network Open¹ looked at the use of interprofessional collaborative practice (ICP) in primary care. The review analyzed the association of ICP with HbA1C, systolic blood pressure (SBP), and diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and showed that ICP in primary care was associated with significant improvement in all three.

Interprofessional collaborative practice is defined as “the collaboration of health workers from different professional backgrounds with patients, families, caregivers, and communities to deliver the highest quality of care.” ²  Health workers commonly involved in ICP are physicians, nurses, pharmacists, nutritionists, social workers, and others. Each ICP team in the studies reviewed was made up of health workers from at least three professions. Typical forms of collaboration were co-location, shared medical records, and team meetings.

While HbA1C levels improved regardless of baseline, the greatest reductions were seen when initial HbA1C levels were nine or greater. The authors were unable to determine an ideal team feature or composition for large-scale replication because of the varied nature of the studies included. However, this review supports the use of ICP in a variety of primary care settings.