PCPCC to Release Two New Publications at October Meeting

Care coordination report features insights from thought leaders and clinicians; resource guide provides information on medical home support organizations

WASHINGTON, Oct. 6, 2011  /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Two publications to be released Oct. 21 at the Patient-Centered Primary Care Collaborative (PCPCC) 5th Annual Summit will provide guidance to providers as they move forward with the patient centered medical home concept.

Core value, community connections: Care coordination in the medical home, a new report from the PCPCC, focuses on the theory and the praxis of care coordination in the medical home. Care coordination has also been identified by the Institute of Medicine as a key strategy for accomplishing quality improvements. Yet, despite years of discussion and research, formalized care coordination is still in its early stages.

The report, sponsored by the PCPCC's Care Coordination Task Force, sheds light on this essential and evolving component of the patient centered medical home. It includes the insights of thought leaders, and the voices of clinicians in the trenches–those who each day put theories and tactics to the test. It includes three core elements:

1. Expert-authored articles on the definition, role and function of care coordination
2. Case examples
3. Summary of survey responses from select practices

The articles provide insights about the latest research on care coordination and offer a roadmap for new and emerging programs. The case examples feature a variety of programs at various stages in the care coordination journey.

Such examinations are at the heart of health care transformation. "Care coordination is not a cookie-cutter exercise for the patient; its implementation in programs across practice types, sizes and even practice sites within the same organization may be similarly varied. There is much to learn from what is being tried, tested and applied by those on the care coordination journey," said Paul Grundy, MD, MPH, PCPCC president. "Effective coordination of a patient's care is essential to high-quality, patient-centered care. There is substantial evidence that improved care coordination results in improved health outcomes and patient satisfaction, and decreased total costs of care."

The report was developed by Health2 Resources on behalf of the PCPCC, with financial support from Phytel and Merck.

The second publication, Putting Theory into Practice, is a master list of consultation experts health care providers can turn to when they are ready to make the move to patient-centered care.  The resource guide includes a directory of more than 45 PCMH transformation support organizations. The entry for each includes a description of the organization's product or service, geographic scope, staff qualifications and references. It also includes a bibliography of publications and articles that describe PCMH transformation studies, processes and outcomes.

"The patient centered medical home has been embraced as a national health policy goal. Now, the real work begins. It is time to put policy into practice and support the formation of medical homes in communities across the country. The organizations listed in Putting Theory into Practice stand ready to support that process," Grundy said.

This report was developed by Discern LLC on behalf of the PCPCC with financial support from Merck.

Since its start in 2006 as a collaboration between employers and the major primary care associations interested in improving the quality of health care through the patient centered medical home model, the PCPCC has expanded its reach to include among its members a number of large national employers, health policy organizations, specialty physician associations, allied health professionals, consumer groups, health benefits companies, trade associations, health information technology companies, pharmaceutical companies, professional groups, academic centers and health care quality improvement associations.

About the meeting

The Summit is an opportunity to engage high-level national leadership and convene the membership around the ideas and practices to expand PCMH implementation nationwide. The theme for the meeting, "Five Years Making Healthy Connections: Collaborating to improve care in the PCMH," applies both to the team-based care approach that is part of the PCMH model, as well as the stakeholder collaboration essential to the rise and expansion of the medical home as a central tenet for health care transformation. The event will be held Oct. 21, 2011 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Ronald Reagan International Trade Center in Washington, D.C. For a complete agenda and registration information, go to http://pcpcc.net/event/summit/10-21-2011/registration.

About the Patient-Centered Primary Care Collaborative

The Patient-Centered Primary Care Collaborative is a coalition of more than 800 major employers, consumer groups, organizations representing primary care physicians, and other stakeholders who have joined to advance the patient centered medical home. The Collaborative believes that, if implemented, the patient centered medical home will improve the health of patients and the health care delivery system. For more information on the patient centered medical home and a complete list of the PCPCC members, please visit http://www.pcpcc.net/.

SOURCE Patient-Centered Primary Care Collaborative