Strategies to Ensure HITECH Supports the Patient-Centered Medical Home

The PCMH is a promising model of care that aims to 5. A systems-based approach to quality and safety that strengthen the primary care foundation of the health care includes gathering and responding to patient experience system by reorganizing the way primary care practitioners’ data, a commitment to on-going quality improvement, practices provide care.1,2 A medical home is supported by and practicing population health management. health IT and payment reform and rests on five pillars3: Stakeholders, including Federal and State agencies, insurers, 1. A patient-centered orientation toward each patient’s providers, employers, and patient advocacy organizations, are unique needs, culture, values, and preferences; support of striving to refashion the landscape of primary care in this the patient’s self care efforts; and involvement of the country through medical home demonstrations and pilots.4 patient in care plans. Adoption of the PCMH model calls for fundamental 2. Comprehensive, team-based care that meets the large changes in the way many primary care practices operate, majority of each patient’s physical and mental health care including adoption of health IT both for internal processes needs, including prevention and wellness, acute care, and and for connecting practices with their patients and with chronic care and is provided by a cohesive team. patients’ other providers. The recent HITECH Act of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 allocated 3. Care that is coordinated across all elements of the $19.2 billion to promote the adoption and use of health IT complex health care system and connects patients to both by eligible primary care providers who serve patients medical and social resources in the community. covered by Medicare and Medicaid.5 In addition, for both 4. Superb access to care that meets patients’ needs and preferences, including care provided after hours and by e-mail and telephone.