Nation's Top Primary Care Physician Organizations ReleaseGuidelines for Patient-Centered Medical Home RecognitionPrograms

Guidelines to help develop recognition and accreditation programs, ensure some standardization, and maintain focus on PCMH elements that are important for patients and feasible for physicians

WASHINGTON - Four organizations representing more than 350,000 primary care physicians today released joint "Guidelines for Patient-Centered Medical Home Recognition and Accreditation Programs." The new guidelines - created by the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Physicians, and the American Osteopathic Association - build on the Joint Principles of the Patient-Centered Medical Home, which the four groups developed and adopted in February 2007.

As the PCMH model of health care gains prominence, a number of organizations are developing or offering medical home recognition or accreditation programs. The new guidelines aim to ensure some standardization among those accreditation programs while encouraging a focus on the key elements of the PCMH.

"If we are to know the value of a patient-centered medical home's accreditation, we need to be assured the accrediting program itself has met appropriate standards," said Roland Goertz, MD, MBA, FAAFP president of the AAFP. "These guidelines help define those standards for accreditation programs."

Three nonprofit groups - the National Committee for Quality Assurance, the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care, and URAC (formerly known as the Utilization Review Accreditation Commission) - already have established recognition, accreditation, or other relevant programs. One other nonprofit organization - The Joint Commission - plans to have a program in place by the middle of this year.

The AAFP, AAP, ACP and AOA developed the 13 guidelines to describe important elements considered essential for effective PCMH recognition programs. The guidelines say that programs should attempt to assess all of the primary care domains outlined by the Institute of Medicine - comprehensiveness, coordination, continuity, accessibility, and patient engagement and experience. According to the guidelines, all PCMH recognition or accreditation programs should:

  1. Incorporate the Joint Principles of the PCMH;
  2. Address the complete scope of primary care services;
  3. Ensure the incorporation of patient and family-centered care emphasizing engagement of patients, their families, and their caregivers;
  4. Engage multiple stakeholders in the development and implementation of the program;
  5. Align standards, elements, characteristics, and/or measures with meaningful use requirements;
  6. Identify essential standards, elements, and characteristics;
  7. Address the core concept of continuous improvement that is central to the PCMH model;
  8. Allow for innovative ideas;
  9. Acknowledge care coordination within the medical neighborhood;
  10. Clearly identify PCMH recognition or accreditation requirements for training programs;
  11. Ensure transparency in program structure and scoring;
  12. Apply reasonable documentation/data collection requirements; and
  13. Conduct evaluations of the program's effectiveness and implement improvements over time.

The AAFP, AAP, ACP and AOA have sent the joint guidelines to NCQA, AAAHC, The Joint Commission and URAC to encourage their use in the development, implementation, and evolution of their PCMH programs.

"The AOA is honored to join with the other primary care physician organizations in support of new guidelines for PCMH recognition programs. Adoption of these principles will ensure that PCMH recognition programs meet a minimal set of standards, thus providing physicians reassurance that their practice recognition program is consistent with others in the marketplace," said Karen J. Nichols, DO, president of the American Osteopathic Association.

ACP President J. Fred Ralston Jr., MD, FACP emphasized, "The consideration of these joint guidelines for PCMH recognition progams will help ensure that recognized practices truly provide patient-centered care that is effectively integrated and of high quality."

"The AAFP is pleased to join our medical specialty colleagues in outlining guidelines for PCMH recognition and accreditation programs," Goertz said. "With multiple organizations accrediting or recognizing medical homes, it's important to have guidelines to evaluate these programs."

"The AAP urges adoption and support of these guidelines by governments, payers, providers and all others who are involved in the health, well-being and success of America's children and their families," said O. Marion Burton, MD, FAAP, president of the AAP.

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Founded in 1947, the American Academy of Family Physicians represents 97,600 physicians and medical students nationwide. It is the only medical society devoted solely to primary care. To learn more about the specialty of family medicine, the AAFP's positions on issues and clinical care, and for downloadable multi-media highlighting family medicine, visit www.aafp.org/media. For information about health care, health conditions and wellness, please visit the AAFP's award-winning consumer website, www.FamilyDoctor.org.

The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 60,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety, and well being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults. For more information, visit www.aap.org and www.healthychildren.org. Follow the AAP on Twitter at http://twitter.com/AmerAcadPeds.

The American College of Physicians is the largest medical specialty organization and the second-largest physician group in the United States. ACP members include 130,000 internal medicine physicians (internists), related subspecialists, and medical students. Internists specialize in the prevention, detection, and treatment of illness in adults. Follow ACP on Twitter and Facebook.

The American Osteopathic Association proudly represents 70,000 osteopathic physicians (DOs) practicing in 31 specialties and subspecialties, promotes public health, encourages scientific research, serves as the primary certifying body for DOs and is the accrediting agency for all osteopathic medical schools and health care facilities. More information on DOs/osteopathic medicine can be found at http://www.osteopathic.org/.

Contacts:

Amanda Holt
American Academy of Family Physicians
(800) 274-2237, x5223
aholt@aafp.org

Susan Martin
American Academy of Pediatrics
847-434-7131
ssmartin@aap.org

David Kinsman
American College of Physicians
202-261-4554
dkinsman@mail.acponline.org

Leann Fox
American Osteopathic Association
202-414-0140
LFox@osteopathic.org