How can providers overcome the challenges of creating the patient-centered medical home?
There are a lot of good things to be said for the patient-centered medical home (PCMH) model, which has been credited with reducing healthcare costs, boosting the delivery of preventative services, and improving care coordination with patients who may have complex chronic disease management needs. But transforming the average healthcare organization into a PCMH and achieving the official designation can be a challenging proposition.
Why should providers consider the PCMH model, and what barriers might stand in their way?
Health IT offers the opportunity to expand upon the patient-centered medical home, according to a report from the Patient-Centered Primary Care Collaborative.
Though many providers are working closely with other medical providers, they should include a wider range of partners including schools, employers, public health agencies and faith-based organizations to improve health in their "medical neighborhood," the report argues.
While the patient-centered medical home has been touted as the foundation for a better coordinated and more efficient healthcare system, experts now say medical home practices need to be connected to other parts of the healthcare system. To this end, the Patient-Centered Primary Care Collaborative has released a report listing 10 “essential” health information technology tools needed to make these population health connections.
