Team-Based Primary Care Offers a Solution for an Underachieving Healthcare System

Addressing the deficiencies in our healthcare system transcends economic, medical, technological, and academic considerations; it's deeply personal. For individuals, it profoundly influences their quality of life, particularly those with complex care needs, mental health issues, and broader challenges like poverty or homelessness. An impactful solution to support such individuals lies in a holistic approach: team-based primary care. Whole-person-focused primary care serves as the cornerstone of an effective healthcare system. Without it, timely prevention, early diagnosis, chronic disease management, and addressing social determinants are compromised. Resources are misallocated on fragmented, less effective care. Unfortunately, primary care is becoming scarcer, despite its pivotal role. While alternatives like emergency departments and telehealth offer convenience, they lack a comprehensive, patient-centered approach. Team-based primary care offers a holistic solution, enhancing system performance and overall health outcomes. It fosters trust, patient-provider relationships, and better healthcare management, addressing the longstanding issues of our underperforming healthcare system.