Improving team-based care for children: shared well child care involving family practice nurses

INTRODUCTION Well child care (WCC) is the provision of routine preventative care and vaccinations to infants and children. In Canada, physicians provide the majority of this type of care, whereas in other developed countries, nurses provide most WCC. New models of shared care between nurses and family physicians should be explored. OBJECTIVE This pilot project aimed to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of shared nurse-physician WCC for a cohort of healthy children. METHODS A total of 20 participants had nurse-physician alternating WCC visits, which were compared with physician-provided WCC visits. The feasibility was evaluated through chart audits and the acceptability was evaluated through interviews with the physicians, nurses, and the patients' parents. RESULTS The results showed that physicians and nurses discuss a similar percentage of Rourke Baby Record topics, and that families and clinic staff were accepting of this new model of care. CONCLUSION This intervention could liberate time for Canadian family physicians, thereby improving access to care.