Major disruptive events occur frequently in primary care practices

In primary care practices, sustainability of performance improvements and ability to deliver continuity of care to patients can be adversely affected by major disruptive events, such as relocations and changes in ownership, clinicians, and key staff. This is according to a recently published study in the Annals of Family Medicine entitled "The Alarming Rate of Major Disruptive Events in Primary Care Practices in Oklahoma," in which James Mold, MD, MPH, et al, documented the rates of major disruptive events in a cohort of primary care practices in Oklahoma.

During a 2-year period, major disruptive events occurred at an alarming rate, adversely affecting quality improvement efforts. Most reported events involved losses of clinicians and staff. More research is needed to identify and address the root causes of these events.