Enhancing Primary Care Through Team Creativity: New Study Highlights Its Critical Role

A recent study conducted by Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health emphasizes the importance of team creativity in primary care settings. While primary care teams, consisting of physicians, nurses, medical assistants, and other staff, are fundamental to delivering high-quality, patient-centered healthcare, their innovative potential remains underutilized despite ongoing reforms and innovations. The research reveals that team creativity can be systematically measured and developed within primary care to address persistent challenges such as staff shortages, burnout, care coordination issues, and complex patient needs.

This comprehensive study employed a three-phase empirical approach. Initially, the researchers identified key dimensions of team creativity through a thorough review of management literature. Next, these dimensions were refined with input from an expert panel comprising 15 scholars and practitioners specializing in primary care. Finally, a survey of 648 primary care team members across a large health system was conducted to validate and identify core creative dimensions.

The findings highlighted five critical aspects of team creativity in primary care:

• Orientation towards creativity as a team
• Innovative team processes
• Creativity required by specific roles
• Creative outputs generated by teams
• Strategies to leverage team creativity effectively

According to Yuna Lee, Ph.D., the study’s lead author, applying these five dimensions can enable primary care teams to generate creative ideas that improve operational efficiency and care quality. Managers can foster this environment by providing resources, support practices that encourage innovation, and recognizing individual and team contributions.

In an increasingly complex healthcare landscape marked by staffing challenges, burnout, and the need for integrated care, fostering team creativity is essential. The study suggests that with adequate support and infrastructure, frontline primary care teams can develop innovative solutions to ongoing issues, ultimately leading to better patient outcomes and more efficient healthcare delivery.

Further co-authors of the study include experts from Northwell Health and Columbia University, emphasizing the collaborative effort behind the research. For more details, the full study is published in the "Health Care Management Review."

Source: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-08-team-creativity-play-key-role.html