The Primary Care Physician Role
In interprofessional (IP) teams, primary care physicians usually work as team leaders who develop long-term and comprehensive plan for patients depending on their state and conditions. In order to perform as a leader in the IP team for developing the treatment plan for the child with spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy, it is necessary to practice as a family physician or pediatrician. According to standards, a primary care physician is responsible for providing primary care, coordinating the work of the IP team, monitoring the changes in the patient’s state, and making decisions regarding changes in the treatment strategy (AAFP, 2015).
The Role-Specific Goals
- By the end of the six-month period, the physical state of Carla will improve as cases of pneumonia will decrease by about 25%, as a result of the physical therapy, medication therapy, and changes in the diet.
- By the end of the six-month period, Carla will demonstrate the increased levels of physical, cognitive, and social activity in about 30%, as a result of the complex physical therapy, development of communication skills, and development of social skills.
Setting Patient Care Goals
The role of a primary care physician in the IP team means setting general goals for improving the patient’s health while covering all the individual needs in order to achieve the observable and measurable positive changes in the patient’s state. In the patient with spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy, much attention should be paid to the physical therapy to increase mobility and overcome such effects as pneumonia. In the case of Carla, it is also necessary to increase her social interactions and improve communication skills.
Involvement of the Patient and Family in the Care
The schedule of physical therapy procedures and work with Occupational Therapist and Speech/Language Pathologist should be improved for Carla in order to involve her mother and brother in cooperation with the specialists to monitor the progress and do exercises at home.
The IP team Planning and Communication
In order to plan the care for Carla, it was important to discuss the most effective physical therapy plans with Physical Therapist to be able to improve the work of all groups of muscles (including those ones participating in swallowing) to improve mobility, avoid contractures, and prevent pneumonia. The other step is the discussion of procedures with Occupational Therapist and Speech/Language Pathologist to improve the girl’s progress in daily activities, communication, and social interaction (Krigger, 2006). All the ideas of specialists were assessed in order to develop the most effective plan for Carla to achieve the set goals.
Legal or Ethical Issues
While planning the care, the focus should be on the patient’s needs, the delivery of the care should be professional, individual differences of the family and patient should be taken into account, and the principles of cooperation to avoid ethical issues should be addressed. Ethical dilemmas should be managed at the stage of planning the care.
The Work with the Other “Team Members”
The main challenges were associated with determining the priorities for the care that influence the proposed schedules as well as the achievement of set goals and expected outcomes. It was important to offer the most efficient plan to address all the determined goals as a result of prolonged discussions.
The Focus on the Plan
The meeting supported the fact that the plan and proposed goals were efficient because they were oriented to improve Carla’s health and state regarding all the parameters affecting the patient’s state as a result of the condition.
Relevant Lessons
The IP teamwork is important to develop the most effective plan of treatment and care for patients who need complex therapy in order to improve their state. The cooperation with different specialists guarantees the appropriate distribution of responsibilities and the focus on all areas determined in the plan.
References
AAFP: American Academy of Family Physicians. (2015). Web.
Krigger, K. (2006). Cerebral palsy: An overview. Web.