Teams and primary care practice transformation: The question is "how?"

The purpose of this study was to gain an in-depth understanding of how primary care practices in the United States are transforming to deliver patient-centered care. Qualitative research methods were used for case studies of small primary care practices in Virginia. The research team collected data from practices using in-depth interviews, structured telephone questionnaires, observation, and document review. Team-based care stood out as the most critical method used to successfully transform practices to provide patient-centered care. This article presents three team-based care models that were used by the practices in this study.