New Resource Helps Health Care Providers Improve Patient-Centered CareWASHINGTON, D.C. —The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), in collaboration with Merck, has published an educational video to guide primary care practices seeking patient-centered medical home (PCMH) recognition. Titled “Transitioning Your Practice to the Patient-Centered Medical Home,” the new video provides a convenient overview of NCQA's PCMH 2011 standards and processes and is intended to help the many primary care clinicians who are interested in earning PCMH recognition.“As an accessible introduction to patient-centered medical homes, this video acquaints primary care providers with one of the important delivery system reforms in health care today,” said NCQA President Margaret E. O’Kane. “By showing how medical practices can earn PCMH recognition, and why they should, this practical resource advances patient-centered care.”The NCQA PCMH program is the first and most widely used formal evaluation program from a quality oversight organization that results in a PCMH designation. NCQA-Recognized PCMH sites and clinicians clearly demonstrate that their systems and processes meet nationally recognized standards for delivering high-quality care. The more than 22,000 PCMH clinicians at 4,600 locations deliver high-quality care to patients and offer superior value for payers.“From my perspective as a practicing endocrinologist, this video provides the kind of practical information clinicians need to transition their practice to become a Recognized PCMH,” said Dr. Sethu Reddy, vice president, U.S. Medical Affairs at Merck. “We applaud NCQA’s efforts to transform the health care system and improve outcomes by advancing the medical home movement.”The video will be highlighted at NCQA's PCMH Best Practices and Lessons Learned Seminar in Washington, DC, on August 23, 2012.Click here to view the PCMH video or visit the Patient-Centered Medical Home Resource Page on NCQA's Web site for additional information and resources.About NCQA NCQA is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to improving health care quality. NCQA accredits and certifies a wide range of health care organizations, and recognizes clinicians and practices in key areas of performance. NCQA is committed to providing health care quality information for consumers, purchasers, health care providers and researchers.About Merck Today's Merck is a global health care leader working to help the world be well. Merck is known as MSD outside the United States and Canada. Through our prescription medicines, vaccines, biologic therapies, and consumer care and animal health products, we work with customers and operate in more than 140 countries to deliver innovative health solutions. We also demonstrate our commitment to increasing access to healthcare through far-reaching policies, programs and partnerships. For more information, visit www.merck.com.
