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Module 2: Components of patient-centered models of care
Roles of the healthcare team
Patient navigators work with patients, but they also work with other members of the healthcare team. To reduce the barriers of the healthcare system, it is important that you know the role of each team member in patient care.
Primary members of the healthcare team: It takes a village
Patients with a chronic disease often need a team of treatment specialists. Each team member has a unique role in diagnosing and treating the disease. Here are some team members who work closely with patients.
- Primary care physicians (family doctors) oversee a patient’s general health and their treatment. They refer patients for screening or diagnosis, and follow them through the process of treatment.
- Specialists are doctors who concentrate on diagnosing and treating specific diseases. For a list of specialties and their definitions, see Swedish Medical Center’s specialist definitions (you may want to bookmark or save this link for future reference).
- Nurses are usually in charge of implementing the plan of care the doctor has set up. They are trained to administer medications and monitor side effects.
- Administrators such as clinic coordinators, schedulers, medical records specialists, case managers, and medical billing coordinators are a few of the administrators that coordinate and facilitate patient care.
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