Achieving patient-centered medical home recognition takes time, resources, guidance, and a dedication to holistic practice transformation, but the process doesn’t necessarily have to be a single, big-bang effort. While certain criteria must be met in order to snag the coveted designation from the NCQA or other accrediting bodies, healthcare providers are allowed to work towards their population health management and care coordination goals at their own pace before signing up for an assessment.
NCQA first developed the Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) recognition program at the request of, and in collaboration with, four key medical professional societies - the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the American College of Physicians (ACP), the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) and the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP).
The patient-centered medical home (PCMH) is one of healthcare’s most popular designations, serving as a way for primary care organizations to codify and implement population health managementprograms, care coordination tactics, and the principles of comprehensive, data-driven, accessible care.
While several different national organizations offer PCMH recognition, no healthcare provider can embark upon in such extensive changes to their patient care strategies without having a solid understanding of how the patient-centered care model works. [wordle]
Patient-centered medical homes have long been thought to reduce healthcare costs. A recent study published in the journal Health Services Research confirms that they actually do.
The study looked at PCMHs recognized by the National Committee for Quality Assurance, as well as practices that are not—referred to as the “comparison group.” It found that medical homes with the NCQA seal had lower payments from Medicare (saving money for the program), less money spent on urgent or acute care, and fewer overall visits to the emergency department among the patients they saw.
Medical home champion sees quest for health system transformation as a mission
WASHINGTON, DC – Paul Grundy, MD, MPH, president of the Primary Care Collaborative and IBM's global director of healthcare transformation, will be honored March 27 as a recipient of the NCQA Health Quality Award.The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) is honoring Grundy as an early and enthusiastic champion of the patient-centered medical home (PCMH). His passion and advocacy have advanced the PCMH, which has been shown to improve care quality and lower the cost of care.
