Patient Centered Medical Home

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In order to evaluate XYZ healthcare’s transition from current practices to patient centered care the term must first be defined. Patient Centered care is care that is “respectful of and responsive to individual patient preferences, needs, and values, and ensuring that patient values guide all clinical decisions.” (Epstein et al, 2010) Patient centered care also involves improving patient satisfaction and results while also reducing costs for diagnostic testing, prescriptions and unnecessary care. (Rickert, 2012) Simply stated, patient centered care is doing more with less, but better and with improved patient satisfaction and results. The theory behind patient centered care is that with effective and proactive relationships between providers and patients, costs will fall as patient compliance and knowledge increases. In order for the provider team and patients to effectively communicate, the latest communication tools need to be employed. Social media and smart phones can be used to keep in patients and their providers connected. In order to build effective relationships, medical providers need to know the patients' family dynamic, cultural identification and religious beliefs. (Epstein et al, 2010) Only by knowing the patients background can a provider better facilitate the patient's decisions about treatment options, compliance and ability to self manage recovery and healing. (Epstein et al, 2010) Patient centered care is not a one size fits all, cookie cutter approach to medicine. Patient centered care includes individually tailored treatment plans and coordinated transitions between providers. XYZ’s transition from fee for service reimbursement to patient centered care is best served by forming a patient- centered medical home, managing high cost cases, actively engaging patients in treatment plans and embracing technology to facilitate patient care.
The purpose of a patient centered medical home is to bring together all of XYZ's services and specialties under one coordinated umbrella. A patient centered medical home is a coordinated team of providers whose goal is to improve the health of a community. (Stange, Nutter, Miller, et al 2010) The team is rooted in Primary Care with Specialists and specialty care integrated into the overall care of the patient. A PCMH aims to personalize, prioritize and integrate care to improve the health of XYZ's patient population. (Stange, Nutter, Miller, et al 2010) A PCMH achieves these goals by building patient partnerships, reorganizing physician practices and improving XYZ's practice capabilities.
Building more effective patient partnerships will increase patient engagement in their health.

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