Case Studies of Exemplary Primary Care Practice Facilitation Training Programs

Three case study reports of exemplar Primary Care Practice Facilitation (PCPF) training programs provide an overview of each program’s design and content, training approaches, format, administrative structure, funding, staffing and curriculum. The case studies were developed by Mathematica under a contract with the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

Practice facilitation (PF) or coaching is one way to support medical practices in their ongoing efforts to redesign and transform primary care. Strong training is essential to developing effective practice facilitators or coaches to support improvements in primary care practices. PCPF training programs allow practice facilitators to develop the knowledge and skills needed to build organizational capacity for change and support meaningful quality improvement in diverse medical practices.

The case studies offer several lessons for individuals interested in developing and delivering training for practice facilitators. They provide illustrative models of how PCPF training can be delivered, and can thus offer practical guidance for practitioners as they work to implement key elements of a PCPF curriculum. The case studies supplement previous case studies of leading primary care practice facilitation programs published on the AHRQ website.  

The following three programs are profiled:

• Millard Fillmore College Practice Facilitator Certificate Program
• North Carolina AHEC Practice Support Program
• HealthTeamWorks’ Coach University