Week in Review: [Patient-Centered] Customer Service is King

[Patient-Centered] Customer Service is King
Thursday, September 12th

Dear Members and Friends:

This week the medical home received national attention for its unique focus on person-centered care, and for its renewed focus on providing patients, consumers, and families with the ultimate customer service experience. An article released this week by U.S. News & World Report featured the medical home's impact on customer service, citing stories from individuals and families that describe their medical home experience, including the benefits of proactive, meaningful support. The article also features three medical home initiatives across the country that were able to reduce health care costs while improving patient satisfaction and outcomes.

This month we are continuing are focus on population health with a webinar that will explore the topic of partnerships between medical homes and home health providers. Later this month, our September National Briefing will feature Dr. Jaan Sidorov, physician and author of the Disease Management Blog, who will discuss the influence of the social determinants of health (i.e., socioeconomic status, employment, physician environment, etc.) on the health of populations.

In other news, September 16th will mark the official kickoff of National Health IT week, and we're excited to participate by hosting a webinar with Janhavi Kirtane, Director of the Beacon Community Program, and representatives from dedicated to Health IT lessons learned from the Beacon Communities.

We look forward to having you join us!

Sincerely,

Marci Nielsen, PhD, MPH
Chief Executive Officer

Spotlight on Rhode Island: Multi-Payer PCMH Initiative Indicates Lower ED Use

Results from a new JAMA Internal Medicine study showed that patients enrolled in pilot practices within the Rhode Island Chronic Care Sustainability Initiative saw a reduction in ambulatory care sensitive emergency department (ED) visits by 11.6 percent. The multipayer patient-centered medical home pilot also reduced hospital admissions and ED visits, although these results were not statistically significant.

The study analyzed patient outcomes among 5 pilot and 34 comparison practices between 2006 and 2010; two years prior to the launch of the pilot and two years after. The study measured emergency department visits, hospital admissions, and 6 process measures of quality of care.

Full study available here.

For additional PCMH cost and quality results, download PCPCC's report.

It's a HIT!
National Health IT Week
Sept. 16 - 20

Next week marks the kickoff of National Health Information Technology (IT) Week, when communities across the country come together to promote the importance of health IT. PCPCC's participation includes the following webinar in partnership with the Office of the National Coordinator:

Shining on through Health IT: Lessons Learned and Looking Forward with the Beacon Communities
Thurs, Sept. 19 | 11:30AM - 1:00PM ET
Lacey Hart from the Southeast Minnesota Beacon Community and Trudi Matthews from the Greater Cincinnati Beacon Community will share their lessons learned from their Beacon program, and their goals for future community collaborations and sustainability.

The Week Ahead:
Upcoming Partner Events
September 12th - September 19th

Children's Emotional Health Link Skills Training Program 9/12 | Children's Emotional Health Link

Family History in Primary Care
9/12 l Genetics in Primary Care Institute

H ill Day 2013 9/16 - 9/17 | National Council for Behavioral Health

I mplementing Physician Payment Reform: Lessons from Community Health Plans 9/17 | ACHP

T he Twelfth National Quality Colloquium
9/18 | Global Health Care, LLC

US News: Medical Homes Bring Results and Customer Service to Health Care

The medical home is delivering new levels of customer service to patients, in addition to improving health care utilization and cost outcomes according to a recent article from U.S. News & World Report. The article highlights positive results that patients and practices have seen due to the increased emphasis on proactive and coordinated healthcare provided by a care team.

Seattle-based Group Health Cooperative's medical home pilot improved the quality of care and patient satisfaction while creating a return on investment of 50%. In a five-year review, Vermont's Blueprint for Health, which uses community health teams to ensure patient needs are met, is seeing slower growth in hospitalizations and health care costs. Early results from the Brigham and Women's Hospital PCMH program shows a 50% reduction in hospitalizations over two years.