Patient Centered Medical Home

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)· Enhanced access to care: Open scheduling,
introduced the concept of the medical home inexpanded hours and new options for
1967, with an intention to provide a centralcommunication between patients, their personal
location for archiving a child's medical record.physician, and practice staff improves access to
Recognition of the current crisis in access tocare.
primary care, quality, cost, and patient experienceBenefits
of care lead the AAP expanded the medical home· Better health outcomes can be achieved,
concept to include operational characteristics likehigher patient experience, and more efficient use
accessible, continuous, comprehensive,of resources.
family-centered, coordinated, compassionate, and· The PCMH allows patients free choice of
culturally effective care in 2002. The patientphysician, providing prompt appointments, reducing
centered medical home is a model of care settingwaiting times, and delivering care based on the
that provides room for collaboration betweenbest evidence on clinical effectiveness,
patients, and their personal physicians, andempowering patients to partner with their
sometimes the patient's family. Health informationpersonal physicians on decision-making.
technology other means is used to assure that· The PCMH would use health information
patients get appropriate care when and wheresystems to provide data and reminder prompts
they need and want it in a culturally andsuch that all patients receive needed services
linguistically appropriate manner.· Commonwealth Fund reports that a medical
Principleshome eliminates racial and ethnic discrimination in
· Physician lead health care: Each patient has aaccess and quality for insured persons. A medical
personal physician lead a team that is responsiblehome improves accessibility to healthcare need
to provide continuous and comprehensive patientand routine preventive screenings specially in
careadults with chronic conditions
· Patient centered care: the personal physician is· By providing comprehensive and continuous
responsible for either providing or appropriatelycare it reduces complication associated with
arranging with other providers for the patient'schronic diseases like diabetes, congestive heart
entire personal health needs that includes care forfailure, and asthma that leads to fewer avoidable
all stages of lifehospitalizations and costs associated with it.
· Coordinated care: all elements of the complexConclusion
health care system and the patient's communityHealth care provided in patient-centered medical
collaborate and coordinate the health carehome results better outcomes, reduced rate of
· Application of health care technologies:death, reduced preventable hospital admissions for
Information technology, health informationpatients with chronic diseases, efficient utilization
exchange and other means are used to assureof resources, improved patient compliance with
that patients get is provided timely carethe prescribed treatment, and reduced health care
· Quality and safety: Medical home assurescost.
quality and safety of the healthcare