Supporting the medical home

Certainly, there's a lot of talk these days about the "medical home" concept, under which patients get more closely managed by primary care physicians. 

Some health plans are testing out the idea now, and many others are considering such projects, as they believe it will ultimately save them money by avoiding needless hospitalizations and fending off complications of chronic diseases. State and federal government leaders are interested too, including Medicare, which is planning a three-year medical home project.

The question is, how will IT leaders support these efforts? Keeping closer track of patients will probably involve a mix of telemedicine and health IT upgrades, both of which will require time, thought and money. And patient-facing applications, in particular, are new ground for most IT administrators.

At TEPR, the show's sponsors are offering content designed to help you think through your strategy. And it's worth the effort. Even if the medical home concept doesn't take root, the better you are at supporting primary care physicians and patients, the better off you'll be.

Post a comment