AHRQ Innovations Exchange | Education and Support of Primary Care Practices Does Not Increase Referrals of Patients With Behavioral Risks to Community-Based Organizations

Education and Support of Primary Care Practices Does Not Increase Referrals of Patients With Behavioral Risks to Community-Based Organizations

Snapshot
Summary
The North Carolina Network Consortium provided a range of support services to six family practice and internal medicine practices designed to encourage referrals of patients who follow unhealthy behaviors (e.g., tobacco use, sedentary lifestyle, poor diet) to community-based organizations that specialize in promoting healthier lifestyles. Support ranged from passive education through a kickoff presentation and the distribution of brochures and fax-based referral forms to more active support that also included access to a Web-based resource and monthly conference calls among referral "champions" from each practice to discuss progress in building partnerships. The program did not increase referrals to community-based organizations, even in the three practices where physicians were initially most enthusiastic about the initiative.

Developing Organizations
North Carolina Network Consortium

The North Carolina Network Consortium is a consortium of physician practice networks throughout North Carolina that includes several Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Practice-Based Research Networks. Practices participating in the pilot study came from two such networks, the Duke Primary Care Research Consortium and the North Carolina-Family Medicine-Research Network.

Date First Implemented
2008


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AHRQ Innovations Exchange | Education and Support of Primary Care Practices Does Not Increase Referrals of Patients With Behavioral Risks to Community-Based Organizations