DEVELOPMENT OF AN INTERPROFESSIONAL INTERVENTION TO IMPROVE FUNCTIONAL STATUS MEASUREMENT IN VA PRIMARY CARE

Understanding functional status is a cornerstone of geriatrics practice because of its central role in informing medical decision-making and providing patient-centered care. However, most older Veterans are cared for in primary care settings where function is seldom routinely measured. In this study, we evaluated barriers and facilitators to routine measurement by interviewing 121 stakeholders at 7 VA Medical Centers. Barriers and facilitators related to screening and assessment included time pressures and clarity of roles and responsibilities; those related to documentation included information technology infrastructure, availability and usability of templates; and those related use of data to inform care included the connection between measurement and outcomes. Based on these findings, we developed a multi-component, interprofessional intervention with both standardized and adaptable components to allow for dissemination across varied settings. The feasibility and preliminary effectiveness of this approach is being tested in two VA primary care clinics prior to phased national implementation.