The Primary Care Practice Facilitation (PCPF) Curriculum is designed to train both new and experienced practice facilitators in the knowledge and skills needed to support the adoption of evidence and make meaningful improvement in primary care practices. The curriculum consists of a preface, an introduction (PDF, 430.7 KB), and 32 training modules.
As described below, Module 1 provides information for instructors on adult education methods. Modules 2 through 32 focus on specific competencies and skills. Each module begins with an Instructor's Guide that:
Identifies the PCPF competencies addressed in the module.
The time that learners will need for preparation (including reading background material) .
The length of the instructional session.
The learning objectives of the module.
Suggested instructional approaches.
The PCPF curriculum is organized into five parts:
Part 1 focuses on adult education methods and is intended for use by instructors. It offers an overview of recommended training approaches and describes how each subsequent module contributes to the development of competencies that practice facilitators need for supporting primary care practice improvement.
Module 1: Instructor’s Guide to Using the PCPF Curriculum (PDF, 823.3 KB)
Part 2 provides a basic introduction to practice facilitation and work with primary care practices and includes an overview of a typical facilitation process. This part of the curriculum also introduces the importance of professionalism in the practice facilitation process.
Module 2: Practice Facilitation as a Resource for Practice Improvement (PDF, 1.7 MB)
Module 3: The Primary Care Landscape (PDF, 594 KB)
Module 4: An Introduction to Practice Organization and Management (PDF, 892.7 KB)
Module 5: Special Considerations When Working With Safety Net Practices (PDF, 833.2 KB)
Module 6: An Overview of the Facilitation Process (PDF, 2.6 MB)
Module 7: Professionalism for Practice Facilitators (PDF, 1.1 MB)
Part 3 presents core competencies for practice facilitators. This part aims to build expertise that is valuable for facilitators regardless of the specific improvement topic. Core competencies include quality improvement techniques and measurement skills.
Module 8: Approaches to Quality Improvement (PDF, 771.7 KB)
Module 9: Using Appreciative Inquiry with Practices (PDF, 799 KB)
Module 10: Mapping and Redesigning Workflow (PDF, 2.7 MB)
Module 11: Using Root Cause Analysis to Help Practices Understand and Improve Their Performance and Outcomes (PDF, 1 MB)
Module 12: An Introduction to Assessing Practices: Issues to Consider (PDF, 718.4 KB)
Module 13. Measuring and Benchmarking Clinical Performance (PDF, 778.2 KB)
Module 14: Collecting Performance Data Using Chart Audits and Electronic Data Extraction (PDF, 1.2 MB)
Module 15: Preparing and Presenting Performance Data (PDF, 1.2 MB)
Module 16: Academic Detailing as a Quality Improvement Tool (PDF, 923.7 KB)
Part 4 provides training in common tasks a facilitator may undertake in practice settings, such as assessing readiness for change, preparing a practice to work with a facilitator, holding kickoff meetings, working with and supporting practice leaders, and running effective meetings.
Module 17: Introducing a Practice to Facilitation (PDF, 450 KB)
Module 18: Assessing Practice Readiness for Change (PDF, 797 KB)
Module 19: Conducting a Kickoff Meeting (PDF, 337 KB)
Module 20: Creating Quality Improvement Teams and QI Plans (PDF, 1.5 MB)
Module 21: Working With and Supporting Practice Leaders (PDF, 2.2 MB)
Module 22. Running Effective Meetings and Creating Capacity for Practices to Run Effective Meetings (PDF, 875 KB)
Module 23: Documenting Your Work With Practices (PDF, 1.5 MB)
Part 5 includes information for facilitators working with practices that are implementing the Care Model or are transforming into patient-centered medical homes (PCMHs). Both the Care Model and the PCMH promote changing delivery systems to encourage responsiveness to patients' needs and preferences.
Module 24: Introduction to the Care Model (PDF, 651.8 KB)
Module 25: The Patient-Centered Medical Home: Principles and Recognition Processes (PDF, 478.6 KB)
Module 26: An Introduction to Electronic Health Records and Meaningful Use (PDF, 1.2 MB)
Module 27: Helping Practices Optimize EHRs for Patient-Centered Medical Home Transformation and Quality Improvement (PDF, 1.3 MB)
Module 28: Using the AHRQ Care Model Toolkit with Practices (PDF, 403 KB)
Module 29: Implementing Care Teams (PDF, 596.3 KB)
Module 30: Building Teams in Primary Care (PDF, 543.4 KB)
Internet Citation: Primary Care Practice Facilitation Curriculum. Content last reviewed February 2022. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. https://www.ahrq.gov/ncepcr/tools/transform-qi/deliver-facilitation/curriculum/index.html
