Article
Two urology groups test ‘medical home’ waters
Two urology groups are among 64 organizations that have enrolled to be early adopters in the National Committee for Quality Assurance’s (NCQA) new patient-centered medical home evaluation program for specialists outside of primary care.
Two urology groups are among 64 organizations that have enrolled to be early adopters in the National Committee for Quality Assurance’s (NCQA) new patient-centered medical home evaluation program for specialists outside of primary care.
ColumbiaDoctors, Department of Urology in New York and Northeast Indiana Urology (Fort Wayne) have enrolled in what is known as NCQA Patient-Centered Specialty Practice (PSCP) Recognition.
The new program is modeled on NCQA’s Patient-Centered Medical Home Recognition program, the most widely adopted medical home model in the country, the NCQA said. Under PCSP, specialty practices committed to improving access, communication and care coordination can earn accolades as the “neighbors” that surround and inform the medical home and colleagues in primary care.
The new program is modeled on NCQA’s Patient-Centered Medical Home Recognition program, the most widely adopted medical home model in the country. Under PCSP, specialty practices committed to improving access, communication and care coordination can earn accolades as the “neighbors” that surround and inform the medical home and colleagues in primary care.
“NCQA’s Patient-Centered Specialty Practice Recognition is an important step forward. I sincerely hope the specialty community embraces it, just as the primary care world has embraced the patient-centered medical home,” said Ed Wagner, MD, MPH, creator of the Chronic Care Model.
The PCSP program recognizes specialty practices that:
- establish agreements with primary care clinicians to exchange key information and establish coordinated care planning and management
- provide timely access to care and clinical advice based on patient need
- use a systematic approach to identify and track patients and coordinate care
- include the patient and family or caregiver (if appropriate in planning and managing care)
- work with a delivery/reimbursement model that focuses on outcomes and reduced duplication of services
- align with newly proposed physician delivery and payment models (eg, accountable care organizations, episodes of care, bundled payments).
The program’s 64 early adopters have committed to finishing key parts of the recognition process by the end of 2013, in exchange for pricing discounts and publicity support.
