Task Overlap Among Primary Care Team Members: An Opportunity for System Redesign‪?‬

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This article presents the results of research (1) on a systematic approach to the assignment of primary care work in the Veterans Health Administration. Based on a functional job analysis protocol, the study identified overlap in the performance of primary care tasks among multiple occupational groups as prima facie evidence of opportunities to reallocate work responsibilities. Results show that registered nurses, physicians, advanced practitioners, and licensed vocational nurses reported performing 60 percent to 97 percent of the same tasks, while clerks and health technicians appeared to be underutilized. The frequency and duration with which occupational groups performed each task were also examined, providing additional evidence to be used in improving clinic efficiency.