Medical Home

 

The Louisiana Health Care Quality Forum's Medical Home Commttee convened the state's major health care stakeholders to adopt standard components and criteria for health care delivery services via the patient-centered medical home (PCMH) model to enhance qualtiy of care and access to services. Since endorsing this model in 2008, the Quality Forum has championed the redesign of delivery systems to support patient-centered, coordinated care for the improvement of quality and health outcomes. 

 

The Quality Forum's Toolkit on the Patient-Centered Medical Home is a resource for providers.  It was developed to promote the delivery of superior care using standards based in medical evidence and is designed to provide information and resources to providers, payers, patients and employers interested in learning more about the model. 

 

In Louisiana, there are currently 61 Patient-Centered Medical Homes that are recognized by the National Committee on Quality Assurance (NCQA).  To view a map that shows the different sites, click the Locate button to the left.

 

Joint Principles of the Patient-Centered Medical Home

The American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American College of Physicians and the American Osteopathic Association, representing approximately 333,000 physicians, have developed the following joint principles to describe the characteristics of the PCMH:  

 

Each person has an ongoing relationship with a personal physician trained to provide first contact, continuous and       comprehensive care.

Physician-directed medical practice

The personal physician leads a team of individuals at the practice level who collectively take responsibility for the ongoing care of patients.

Whole person orientation

The personal physician is responsible for providing for all the patient's health care needs or taking responsibility for appropriately arranging care with other qualified professionals.  This includes care for all stages of life: acute care, chronic care, preventive services and end-of-life care. 

 

Care is coordinated and integrated across all elements of the complex health care system (e.g., subspecialty care, hospitals, home health agencies, nursing homes) and the patient's community (e.g., family, public and private community-based services).  Care is facilitated by registries, information technology, health information exchange and other means to assure that patients get the indicated care when and where they need and want it in a culturally and linguistically appropriate manner.

 

These principles are hallmarks of the medical home and include evidence-based medicine and clinical decision support tools, information technology, active patient and family participation and quality improvement activities.

 

Care is available through systems such as open scheduling, expanded hours and new options for communication between patients, physicians and practice staff.

 

The payment structure will appropriately recognize the added value provided to patients who have a PCMH.