Saturday, September 29, 2007

Medical homes - Home Sweet Medical Homes

A recent AMA Medical News story, “New Orleans Grows Into Medical Testing Ground for Medical Homes: Physician Leaders Believe that Lessons Learned There May Be Used to Establish the Primary Care Model Elsewhere, “ AMA News, September 24, 2007), tells the tale of new medical homes in New Orleans.


The principles of medical homes include personal physicians providing first contract and continuous care, coordinating care across the health care spectrum, using information technologies, and making care more accessible and quicker through open scheduling.


Citizens now may seek medical help in 20 clinics in Greater New Orleans. Katrina has destroyed many hospitals and their ERs, which previously provided care. In their place, physicians at Tulane and elsewhere have created clinics built around the concept of medical homes... Last March the AAFP, American College of Physicians, American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Osteopathic Association jointly supported the patient-centered medical home concept, which integrates primary care practices and coordinates care using electronic medical records.


New Orleaneans can now get care at these clinics, among doctors, nurses, and staff they have come to know in local neighborhoods. Medical homes are evidence of a possible primary care renaissance, which is long overdue and badly needed.



A recent AMA Medical News story, “New Orleans Grows Into Medical Testing Ground for Medical Homes: Physician Leaders Believe that Lessons Learned There May Be Used to Establish the Primary Care Model Elsewhere, “ AMA News, September 24, 2007),
tells the tale of new medical homes in New Orleans.


The principles of medical homes include personal physicians providing first contract and continuous care, coordinating care across the health care spectrum, using information technologies, and making care more accessible and quicker through open scheduling.


Citizens now may seek medical help in 20 clinics in Greater New Orleans. Katrina has destroyed many hospitals and their ERs, which previously provided care. In their place, physicians at Tulane and elsewhere have created clinics built around the concept of medical homes... Last March the AAFP, American College of Physicians, American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Osteopathic Association jointly supported the patient-centered medical home concept, which integrates primary care practices and coordinates care using electronic medical records.


New Orleaneans can now get care at these clinics, among doctors, nurses, and staff they have come to know in local neighborhoods. Medical homes are evidence of a possible primary care renaissance, which is long overdue and badly needed.

1 comment:

Dino William Ramzi said...

I can understand why populations, so long accustomed to getting their primary care in the ER, continue to do so. But I cannot understand why policy types do not make better use of the cost savings from primary care (i.e. medical home). It's not exactly a new idea and the evidence of cost-effectiveness spans nearly four decades.

Is primary care being marketed poorly?