What is the PCMH model?
The Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) is an organizational model of healthcare that focuses on the relationship between the physician, the patient, and even the patient’s family. This healthcare delivery system focuses on comprehensive, coordinated, and patient-centered care, as well as providing accessible services and ensuring the quality and safety of service. Using evidence-based medicine and an outcome-based mentality, a single, central physician will coordinate care and treatment, keeping the best interests of the patient at heart.
Why is the PCMH model important?
In this model, the care team has the obligation to learn and counter any barrier that could interfere with patient treatment and progress. This in turn increases the likelihood of recovery, while lessening the chance of a relapse. By concentrating on patient engagement, physicians in the PCMH model are shifting the focus of healthcare to entail more preventative measures.
What are the benefits of this care delivery system?
Because one central physician is coordinating all aspects of care for their patients, the physicians have a greater understanding of the full scope of the patient’s illness, which can result in better treatment, as well as better adherence to treatment on behalf of the patient. In addition, by emphasizing the importance of preventative measures, physicians can significantly decrease the number of ER visits of their patients, which will in turn result in lower costs for the health institutions.
What are some of the greatest problems that PCMHs face?
Primarily, PCMHs must balance the quality of care with a fee-for-service model. For too long, patients and physicians alike have associated “more care” with “better care”, although this is rarely the case. PCMHs have the difficult task of combating this mindset, while still ensuring that they have a working and profitable business model.
How can WaveTwo aide PCMHs in achieving their goals?
WaveTwo has a variety of programs that helps PCMHs maintain and analyze data, in addition to managing their patient population. Applications like Practice InsightsSM are data-driven systems that provide a process of self-assessment for PCMHs of any size or background. Through these applications, physicians can monitor the progress of their patients, their clinics, and even their own performances, all in an easy to read format.
