‘Virtual’ Health Teams Improve Patient Care

OPEN MINDS On-Line News Strategic Health Care News The use of “virtual” interdisciplinary health care teams reduced the number of emergency department visits by diabetic patients, who had a greater likelihood of high emergency department visits. The virtual teams were part of a two-year pilot project called Virtual Integrated Practice (VIP), which linked physician practices with teams of other health-care professionals to coordinate care for patients with diabetes. The VIP teams shared information via phone, fax, and e-mail. Participating physicians developed teams with independent community based health professionals (pharmacists, social workers, dieticians, and others) with the . . .