Geisinger Health System in Pennsylvania reduced hospital admissions by 20 percent and saved 7 percent in total medical costs by providing a patient-centered medical home (PCMH) model of care--including around-the-clock access to primary and specialty care, and physician and patient access to electronic health records (EHRs)--according to first-year results from pilot-test sites. The findings, released in the September-October issue of Health Affairs, provide the first evidence that the PCMH model can improve quality of care and reduce healthcare costs.
Geisinger’s innovations show considerable promise for improving quality and enhancing value. For their best practices and care models to spread more broadly, health policies to align payment incentives, encourage greater organization of care delivery, and adoption of modern IT are needed, write the authors. Read the article.
