Navigating the Pressures of Primary Care: TailorCare’s Solution for Musculoskeletal Care

Primary care physicians (PCPs) are the backbone of the U.S. healthcare system, yet they face mounting challenges in delivering quality care. Tasked with managing broad patient needs, navigating insurance intricacies, and addressing a growing influx of patient inquiries, PCPs operate in an environment that demands relentless multitasking and precision. The aging U.S. population exacerbates these pressures, often pushing primary care to its breaking point.

The State of Primary Care: A System Under Strain

Recent data paints a concerning picture in primary care:

• Shrinking Workforce: Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) data projects a shortage of up to 40,000 primary care physicians in the next 10 years. 
• Overwhelming Patient Panels: On average, a PCP manages a panel of 2,500 patients, a number far exceeding what’s feasible for sustainable, high-quality care.
• Time Constraints: The average PCP visit lasts about 18 minutes, during which providers must address multiple, often complex concerns.
• Coordination Burden: Patients frequently see multiple specialists, particularly as they age. One-third of older adults visit at least five different doctors a year, and as a result, PCPs are tasked with integrating insights and managing care plans across these providers for their patient’s chronic and complex conditions.

The Overlooked Burden: Musculoskeletal (MSK) Care

One area where PCPs often feel underprepared is musculoskeletal (MSK) care. Despite MSK issues accounting for 30-40% of PCP visits, medical schools dedicate less than 2% of their curricula to MSK training. As a result, PCPs face challenges in managing MSK conditions, including: 

• Resource Limitations: Many PCPs lack access to tools, time, and support to provide comprehensive MSK care, leaving patients waiting for referrals and delaying effective treatment. Primary care physicians also have relatively little outpatient training, limiting exposure to the more common MSK and degenerative conditions that usually present in outpatient practice. 
• Diagnostic Challenges: Many older persons present with complaints of pain and often have several chronic conditions that may make it more challenging to diagnose the source of pain and develop a treatment plan. Often, the older adult population also lives with comorbidities that lead to pain such as diabetic neuropathy and others that complicate the assessment and management of pain, such as mood disorders. As a result, PCPs often do not have the time to address complex MSK issues in the setting of other comorbidities and patient needs.  

The Need for Support

The lack of MSK expertise and time in primary care settings not only stresses PCPs but also contributes to suboptimal outcomes for patients. At least one-third of imaging ordered in primary care is unnecessary, which contributes to increased costs and potential harms to patients. Further, rates of prescribing opioids for low back pain vary dramatically across the country with some states reporting over 30% of patients receiving a prescription despite national recommendations advising against use until non-opioid treatments have been tried. 

Knowledge of specialty resources can also be challenging. As a geriatrician, I know orthopedic surgeons in my hospital setting and feel comfortable making a referral because of this knowledge. Conversely, I wouldn’t even know where to send a patient for outpatient physiatry (physical medicine and rehabilitation). This non-operative specialty has low visibility outside of the hospital and so the default referral for patients tends to be an orthopedist, which potentially places patients on a track for surgery. 

MSK disorders can often be managed effectively in the primary care setting if the right support systems are in place. That’s where TailorCare steps in.

How TailorCare Empowers PCPs

TailorCare bridges the gap between primary care and specialized MSK treatment by offering a patient-centric, tech-enabled care navigation solution. Here’s how:

• Streamlined Care: TailorCare provides an evidence-based intake built on established guidelines and engaged patients in a shared-decision making process to develop and implement a care path. As a result, patients receive the right care for their needs at the right time, reducing the need for unnecessary specialist referrals or imaging. TailorCare’s streamlined care model has resulted in a 75% reduction in the rate of prior authorization denial among engaged patients, largely because patients are directed to the most appropriate care for their needs.  
• Integrated Care Navigation: Our care team works alongside PCPs to manage patient care, ensuring timely follow-ups, coordination with specialists when needed, and access to effective non-invasive therapies like physical therapy. The result is greater patient engagement and adherence; more than 70% of patients are adherent to evidence-based guidelines for MSK care. 
• Time-Saving Support: TailorCare handles much of the administrative burden, from referral coordination to patient education, allowing PCPs to focus on clinical care. Through its proprietary data, TailorCare refers patients to high-value providers, which leads to better patient outcomes and cost savings. 
• Improved Outcomes: By addressing MSK issues earlier and more effectively, PCPs can improve patient satisfaction and prevent chronic complications, all while reducing strain on their practices. TailorCare patients report a NPS (Net Promoter Score) of +90 and a satisfaction score of 4.8/5.0. 

A Partnership for the Future

As the demand for primary care continues to grow, solutions like TailorCare offer a lifeline for overburdened PCPs. By empowering physicians with the tools and support they need to deliver exceptional MSK care, TailorCare is helping to reimagine what’s possible in primary care settings.

Together, we can ensure that PCPs are not just managing their patient panels but have access to the resources and expertise needed to provide outstanding comprehensive, patient-centered care.