Patient-Centered Medical Home: An Emerging Model of Care
By Stephanie Caffee
The Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) was an emerging model of care in 2014, changing the face of health care delivery by placing the patient in the center. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality defines a medical home not simply as a place but as a model of the organization of primary care that delivers the core functions of primary health care.
The Patient-Centered Medical Home is a team-based approach led by a primary care provider, and is a collaborative effort between the patient, the provider, the nurse, clinic and administrative members of the care team. This model reinforces coordination between primary care and other practitioners to monitor patient care. It engages patients in their own care and treatment and seeks to improve health outcomes, enhance the patient experience, and utilize health care resources more efficiently.
In 2014, HopeHealth gained PCMH Level 3 recognition of the following sites: Palmetto, Cherokee and FMU. The new HopeHealth building on Irby Street in Florence carries the design principles of the model with smaller waiting rooms and provider pods.
PCMH Model of Health Care
- Enhance access and continuity
- Identify and manage patient populations
- Plan and manage care
- Provide self-care and community support
- Track and coordinate care
- Measure and improve patient populations
