From the Research
Standard Baseline Orders for New Patients in Primary Care
There are no specific studies that outline the standard baseline orders for new patients in primary care. However, some studies provide insight into the importance of standardized orders and care management in primary care settings:
- A study on the effectiveness of a patient-centred medical home model found that patient-tailored chronic disease management plans, improved self-management support, and regular monitoring by general practitioners and trained clinical coordinators were key components of enhanced primary care 1.
- Another study on appointment standardization in a primary care facility found that standardized scheduling among providers can increase cost, patient wait time, and provider idle time, while decreasing patient access to care 2.
- A quality improvement intervention that provided new patients with same-day primary care access found that redesigning the intake clinic and reallocating primary care providers can significantly reduce delays in primary care access 3.
- A study on the effect of standardized orders and provider education on head-of-bed positioning in mechanically ventilated patients found that standardizing the process of care via the addition of an order specifying head-of-bed position can significantly increase the number of patients who are placed in the semirecumbent position 4.
Key Components of Standardized Orders
Some key components of standardized orders that may be relevant to new patients in primary care include:
- Patient-tailored chronic disease management plans
- Improved self-management support
- Regular monitoring by general practitioners and trained clinical coordinators
- Standardized scheduling and appointment management
- Redesign of intake clinics and reallocation of primary care providers to reduce delays in access
Benefits of Standardized Orders
The benefits of standardized orders in primary care settings include:
- Improved patient outcomes
- Increased efficiency and reduced costs
- Enhanced patient access to care
- Reduced delays in primary care access
- Improved provider satisfaction and reduced burnout