Table 3 Quality of care by types of different primary care teams (PCTs)

Upward PCT

7 (41.2%)

Positive results:

- Lower severity in depression (SCL-20); improvements in anxiety, quality of life, role functioning [49];

- Lower PHQ-9 scores and HbA1c [52];

- Less depression, anxiety, pain, and fatigue; better functioning and quality of life [48];

- Lower in glycated hemoglobin levels, LDL cholesterol levels, systolic BP, SCL-20; better quality of life [44];

- Less severity of depression [40]

Negative results:

- No significant difference in BP, quality of life [52];

- No significant difference in reduction of PHQ-9 score, BP, BMI, waist circumference [46];

- No significant difference in HbA1c levels [40]

Positive results:

- Improvements in self-rated depression, perceived quality of care [49];

- Better perceived quality of depression care, overall health [48];

- Greater satisfaction with care for diabetes, CAD or both and care for depression [44];

- Greater satisfaction with care, higher self-rated global improvement [40]

Negative results:

- Not reported

Positive results:

- Increased monitoring of BP and glucose

Negative results:

- No significant difference in smoking [46];

- No significant difference in medication adherence [41]

Positive results:

- Increased anti-depressants, insulin and antihypertensive medications initiation and adjustment [41];

- Increased insulin adjustments, antihypertensive medications and antidepressants [44];

- Greater improvements in adequacy of dosage of antidepressant medication treatment [40]

Negative results:

- No significant difference in receipt of counselling, receipt of antidepressant treatment [46]

Downward PCT

2 (11.8%)

Positive results:

- Greater improvements in serum CRP level [47]

- Greater improvements in PHQ-9 [43]

Negative results:

- No significant difference in changes of systolic BP^43;

- No significant difference in LDL, HbA1c, BMI [47];

Not reported

Positive results:

- Greater improvements in self-reported salt intake [47];

Negative results:

- No significant difference in antithrombotic adherence, physical activity level, diet, smoking status [47]

Positive results:

- Increased identification of depression and alcohol use disorder [43]

Negative results:

Not reported

Traditional PCT

8 (47.1%)

Positive results:

- Improvements in BP control and total cholesterol control in high-risk patients [50];

- Improvements in depression [42];

- Improvements in depression, anxiety [36];

- Improved mental components [37];

- Lower severity of depression, higher response rate to antidepressant treatment and remission rate [34];

- Improved quality of life [37]

Negative results:

- No significant difference in quality of life, number of deaths or illness burden [45];

- No significant difference in all-cause hospitalizations [37];

- No significant difference in quality of life, self-efficacy, or disability [36];

- No significant difference in pain severity or pain response rate [34]

Positive results:

- Improvements in patient-centeredness [45];

- Improvements in general health [37];

- Improved satisfaction with care, more patient-centered [36]

Negative results:

- No significant difference in illness perceptions or social support [36]

Positive results:

- Reduced consumption of saturated fat, increased consumption of fruit, vegetables, and oily fish [50];

- Increased exercise, increased visits to mental health workers [42];

- Lower hospitalizations for ambulatory care sensitive conditions [38];

- Better in self-management [36]

Negative results:

- No significant difference in hospital admissions or outpatient attendances [45];

- No significant change in smoking [50]

Positive results:

- More prescriptions of statins, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors [50];

- Improvement in the Continuity of Care Index [45];

- Increased referrals to exercise program, mental health workers [42];

- Increased self-management plan formulation, assessment of smoking status, measuring BMI [35];

- More consultations [45]

Negative results:

- No significant difference in quality of disease management and high-risk prescribing [45];

- Decreased testing for LDL; no significant difference in testing for HbA1C, HgbA1C, LDL, and BP [35]