PCDC Releases New Assessment Tool for 2011 NCQA Medical Home Standards

(New York, NY) - Today PCDC released its updated Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) Assessment Tool. This free, online, self-scoring tool enables primary care practices-- including safety net providers-- to assess and measure their current operations against the National Committee for Quality Assurance's (NCQA) PCMH 2011 standards.

"Practices that meet the NCQA's PCMH 2011 standards will have a strong foundation for delivering excellent primary care that places them squarely on a path toward continuous quality improvement," said Ronda Kotelchuck, PCDC's Executive Director. "This commitment to delivering effective, well-coordinated care will not only lead to improvements in patient care, but cost savings throughout the healthcare system."

PCDC's tool helps providers and staff assess how their practice operates compared to PCMH 2011 standards, including their use of electronic health records; patient and provider communication; data reporting; workflow redesign; and care management and coordination. The tool was originally developed for PCDC's "Obtaining Patient-Centered Medical Home Recognition: A How-To Manual," and has been updated to incorporate the 2011 standards.

"PCDC's assessment tool can help providers become true medical homes and advance them to the forefront of 21st century primary care," explained Margaret E. O'Kane, President, National Committee for Quality Assurance.

The PCMH model emphasizes coordinated, comprehensive care that includes a strong and robust relationship between the primary care physician, the patient and the patient's family. A practice's "medical homeness" is strengthened by its use of health information technology, care teams, evidence-based medicine, clear and open communication with patients, open scheduling, and management of chronic disease patients. Increasingly, state Medicaid programs and other payers are offering financial incentives for providers that meet PCMH standards.

The NCQA updated its PCMH standards in January to incorporate federal "meaningful use" of health IT language, so practices that meet PCMH 2011 requirements will be well prepared to qualify for meaningful use, and vice versa. The 2011 version also places more emphasis on patient experience, including a new optional patient experience survey, as well as new standards for pediatric care.