AMA House of Delegates Meeting: The Patient-Centered Component of the Medical Home

Advances in Long Term Care Medicine

Guest: Lori Heim, MD
Host: Eric Tangalos, MD
The medical home model is designed to increase efficiency by providing a central primary care practice as the coordinator of care for patients. But while efficiency is important, the patient-centered component of this model is just as crucial. Dr. Lori Heim, president of the American Academy of Family Physicians, emphasizes the patient-centered concept for medical homes, and provides real-world examples. How can you re-tool your office to be more accessible to your patients, both in a physical sense, and through better communication strategies? How helpful are patient satisfaction surveys in determining potential areas of improvement for your practice? And let's face it— physicians will spend a significant amount of time outside of the traditional office visit ensuring well-coordinated care for their patients under this model. Dr. Heim recognizes that the fee-for-service payment system will need to change for the medical home concept to thrive, and discusses the payment models that best support the patient-centered medical home. How can the entire medical neighborhood or community be incentivized to fully engage in the medical home model? Dr. Eric Tangalos hosts.