Incorporating Group Medical Visits into Primary Healthcare: Are There Benefits?

OBJECTIVE Group medical visits (GMVs) have been touted as an innovation to effectively and efficiently provide primary healthcare (PHC) services. The purpose of this paper is to report whether GMVs have tangible benefits for providers and patients. METHODS This descriptive study included in-depth interviews with patients attending and providers facilitating GMVs and direct observation. Five primary care practices in rural towns and four First Nations communities participated. This paper reports on an analysis of interviews and observations. RESULTS Thirty-four providers and 29 patients were interviewed. Patient participants were an average of 62 years old, mostly female and married. The three most common chronic conditions reported by patients were diabetes (n = 9), high blood pressure (n = 8) and arthritis (n = 7). Three themes illustrated how GMVs: (1) can foster access to needed health services; (2) expand opportunities for collaboration and team-based care; and (3) improve patient and provider experiences. A fourth theme captured structural challenges in delivering GMVs. DISCUSSION There are tangible benefits in delivering GMVs in PHC. While whole patient panels can benefit from the integration of GMVs into practice, those who could gain the most are patients with complex medical and social needs. GMVs provide an opportunity to enhance PHC, strengthening the system particularly for patients with chronic conditions.