Medical Home
Core Features & Benefits | Talking Points | Coverage in the Media | Medical Home Initiatives & Projects | ResourcesA patient-centered medical home integrates patients as active participants in their own health and well-being. Patients are cared for by a personal physician who leads the medical team that coordinates all aspects of preventive, acute and chronic needs of patients using the best available evidence and appropriate technology. These relationships offer patients comfort, convenience and optimal health throughout their lifetime.
Approved by the American Academy of Family Physicians board of directors on May 1, 2008
View Medical Home Video Introduction
View Medical Home Video, Part 2
GAFP Surveys Members on the Patient Centered Medical Home
How ready are we to become a Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH)? The Georgia Academy of Family Physicians surveyed members in March to gauge how ready you are in achieving this goal.
Over 1,500 active members of the GAFP were contacted to participate and 212 completed the survey.. When asked how familiar the participants are with the AAFP's PCMH initiative, 59 percent were aware of the criteria, but not how to implement, and 19 percent had never heard of the initiative. Fifty-one percent believe it to be a viable model, yet only 10 percent have taken the AAFP TransforMED Medical Home IQ Assessment. Fifty-four percent of the participants are interested in receiving the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) designation as a PCMH; one participant has achieved this title. Fifty-one percent of the participants use a fully implemented Electronic Health Record (a requirement to become a PCMH.)
The two biggest obstacles in implementing the PCMH model were financial investment and time. Many members commented that not only is the financial investment a barrier, but also the lack of known reimbursement once a practice has attained the designation of PCMH. When asked what financial incentives would be of interest, the number one answer was funding for start-up costs, followed closely by a per member, per month care management payment.
The participants were asked what tools, training, or services could GAFP provide to help transition their practice into becoming a qualified PCMH; the top answers were CME education, an all day workshop for office staff, and networking with successful PCMH practices. Other needs included education of support staff and providers, 'start up' support for locating or developing appropriate tools for working and communicating with patients about the process, and technical support in practice transformation facilitation.
For additional information, contact Cathi Durham, Director of Outreach at (800) 392-3841 or cdurham@gafp.org.
GAFP and TransforMED have a working relationship in which members receive a discount on the road to becoming a PCMH. To learn about TransforMED and their new Small Practice Package, visit http://www.transformed.com.