Study outlines challenges of PCMH conversion

A new study published in the journal Health Affairs outlines the challenges traditional practices are going to face in converting to the patient-centered medical home model (Source: “A Team Approach to Patient Care Falters,” New York Times, March 8, 2011).

The study, “Transforming Physician Practices To Patient-Centered Medical Homes: Lessons From The National Demonstration Project,” used date from the National Demonstration Project and concludes that the process of converting to a medical home requires dedication on the part of practitioners and likely a multiple years before it is accomplished.

The National Demonstration Project, “suggests that transformation to a patient-centered medical home, focused on optimizing the four pillars of primary care, is a long-term proposition and much more than a series of incremental improvements made over two years. Despite the huge current federal investment in expanding health IT and achieving “meaningful use,” much of the technology is not ripe for use, and interoperability within practices and across health care neighborhoods has not been demonstrated.”