Provider Experiences with Integrative Medical Group Visits for Chronic Pain

Purpose

The well-being of healthcare teams is an important consideration when seeking to improve patient experience and quality of care. Prior studies have found that changes to working conditions are most effective to improve provider well-being. Integrative Medical Group Visits (IMGVs) modify working conditions in ways that may impact provider well-being. However, little is known about healthcare teams' experience with the implementation and maintenance of IMGVs in clinical settings.

Method

Interviews were conducted via Zoom and telephone with 21 clinicians, administrators, and staff from safety-net healthcare settings throughout the country who have implemented IMGVs for patients with chronic pain. To be considered an IMGV, patients received care concurrently by a licensed clinician who documented the visit, patients interacted, and clinicians provided integrative healthcare in the form of mind-body practice. Interviews included questions about provider experience, well-being, and satisfaction with the IMGV model. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and coded using thematic content analysis by a team of trained qualitative researchers.

Results

The authors identified four themes describing how IMGV positively affected provider well-being: horizontal power dynamic, collaboration with an interprofessional team, guideline-concordant care, and enhanced meaning and purpose. An additional fifth theme identified organizational supports that directly impact provider well-being during IMGV delivery.

Conclusion

The current study was the first to use interviews from healthcare teams who have implemented IMGV to assess their experience and understand the effect on well-being. The themes identified warrant further investigation into IMGVs as a strategy to promote provider well-being and mitigate aspects of burnout.