The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center’s primary care program is recognized by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) as a Patient-Centered Medical Home. Organizations that can achieve this designation are helping to transform primary care into what patients want it to be. Unlike a routine primary care experience, Patient-Centered Medical Homes like Ohio State offer patients:
- Long-term partnerships with clinicians, not just a series of sporadic, hurried visits.
- Coordinated care by clinician-led teams, particularly for preventive care and chronic disease management.
- Enhanced access through expanded hours and online communication with care teams.
- Open conversation and inclusive decision-making, giving patients the ability to make informed choices and get better results from their care.
- Coordinated care and improved quality, with no denial of care. Although patient-centered medical homes offer care regardless of ability to pay, many insurers pay modest fees for these benefits because they save more than they cost.
Improving the quality of your care
As a recognized NCQA Patient-Centered Medical Home, Ohio State’s primary care doctors must work as a team to coordinate, track and improve the quality of care, to meet criteria that raises the standard of care beyond what is expected from a routine primary care office:
- Accommodating the language and cultural needs of underserved communities.
- Meeting national requirements for using electronic medical records in a way that is truly valuable to patients.
- Placing a stronger focus on long-term care management and behavioral health.
- Addressing topics related to the care of children and young people, like parental decision-making, immunizations and teen privacy.
- Engaging patients and families in improving the quality of care through surveys and other forms of feedback.
Better care, supported by research
Research is showing that Patient-Centered Medical Homes like Ohio State's are achieving powerful results in the lives of patients. Patients report having increased access to care, as well as fewer disparities in care for people with lower incomes. Empire Blue Cross of New York showed that NCQA-designated Patient-Centered Medical Homes have higher quality and lower costs than standard primary care locations. Colorado found $2 to $4 in savings for every $1 spent, and other states are seeing similar benefits.
To learn more about the National Committee for Quality Assurance and its criteria for Patient-Centered Medical Home designations, visit ncqa.org. To schedule an appointment with a primary care doctor at Ohio State, visit our Primary Care section.