Wisconsin Patient Centered Medical Home
Recognition is growing among WAFP members, payers and policy makers in the Badger State that the Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH) is our best opportunity to improve patient outcomes and lower health care costs. Here’s why:
- The PCMH model is built on the premise that patients develop relationships with their family physician.
- In the US, studies show patients with a primary care physician had 33% lower costs of care and were 19% less likely to die – than patients who worked solely with specialists.
Here in Wisconsin, an increasing number of practices are currently in the process of obtaining NCQA recognition as a Patient Centered Medical Home. The Columbia St. Mary’s Family Health Center in Milwaukee began to implement a team-based, proactive model of care two years ago and, according to Medical Director Dr. Bob Lyon, is already seeing improved outcomes, especially among its diabetic patients:
- An absolute reduction of 1% (from 8.7 to 7.7) in hemoglobin A1C
- Immunization rates increased from 50% to 80% for Pneumovax
- An increase in the number of patients obtaining eye exams
The Columbia St. Mary’s Family Health Center in Milwaukee hopes to submit its application for NCQA recognition in 2009. But even practices that are not part of the formal NCQA process are beginning to appreciate the value of the fundamental concepts of PCMH
In Menomonie, Wisconsin, Dr. David Eitrheim, a family practice physician, is embracing a “team” approach where nurses and other members of the staff manage patient education and documentation, freeing him to concentrate on what he does best. The result is a win/win where:
- Patient wait times are down
- Nurses are more satisfied
- Physicians are more satisfied
“It has reinvigorated our practice,” says Dr. Eitrheim. “It’s great to get back to a 15-minute office visit where I’m focusing on the patient’s chief complaint. The rest of the team handles the distractions that took away my focus.”
As the concept of the Patient Centered Medical Home begins to take shape here in Wisconsin and across the country, the path to effective and efficient implementation is becoming increasingly clear. As a result, a set of best practices is emerging for everything from how to conduct group visits (where multiple patients are seen as a group for follow-up or routine care) to redesigning your office to better accommodate the coordinated care which is at the heart of PCMH.
For more information about the Patient Centered Medical Home, contact Larry Pheifer.
