The latest issue of Quality Matters focuses on the use of interdisciplinary health care teams—including nurse practitioners, nurses, pharmacists, and social workers—to meet demand and improve the quality of primary care. It includes a case study of Aetna's embedded case managers—specially trained nurses who work alongside providers in their offices to help manage patients' conditions. Thus far, the program has involved some 20,000 patients, all members of Aetna's Medicare Advantage plan, and has resulted in improved care processes, some improvements in outcomes, and reduced numbers of hospitalizations.
