Medical Home Initiatives Gaining Momentum - Recognition Program Available

The Medical Home model is garnering support from large employers, physician groups, insurers, states and the federal government - all of whom are joining together to explore a new way of delivering health care. This year the AMCNO voted to adopt the "Joint Principles of the Patient-Centered Medical Home," joining the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Physicians, the American Osteopathic Association and the AMA in endorsing the principles. The principles include guidelines for the coordination of care to improve the patient-physician relationship, quality and safety, access to care, and the payment model for coordinated services. In addition, the AMCNO is also involved in a Cuyahoga county project that is reviewing issues surrounding access to a medical home in our region. The county will be releasing additional information on this initiative as well as the draft of a business case in the coming weeks.

Recently the Bridges to Excellence (BTE) partnered with the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) to offer an incentive program for physicians that is based on the Medical Home model. The AMA has prepared a document entitled “Achieving Medical Home Recognition” to educate physicians on the concepts behind the NCQA and BTE models. To view this document go to
http://www.ama-assn.org/ama1/pub/upload/mm/368/medical-home.pdf

The NCQA program reflects the input from the American College of Physicians (ACP), American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and American Osteopathic Association (AOA) and others to assess whether physician practices are functioning as medical homes. Building on the joint principles developed by the primary care specialty societies, the standards emphasize the use of systematic, patient-centered, coordinated care management processes. There are nine standards; including 10 must pass elements, which can result in one of three levels of recognition. Practices seeking recognition complete a Web-based data collection tool and provide documentation that validates responses. The program standards are now available at no cost. To view additional information on the NCQA standards to go http://www.ncqa.org/tabid/631/Default.aspx