By Anne Llewellyn, RN-BC, MS, BHSA, CCM, CRRN
Editor-in-Chief of Case in Point Magazine and the Case Management Resource Guide

We have all heard the chatter about the Patient Centered Medical Home and Accountable Care Organizations. Last week I had the opportunity to attend a conference that showed that these two concepts are real and are spreading through the healthcare system as a way to improve the way healthcare is practiced and paid for in the United States.

The Patient Centered Medical Home Collaborative Work Group Meeting brought together stakeholders throughout the care continuum who have implemented the Medical Home and Accountable Care concepts into their systems and were able to report on the outcomes they achieved which were focused on improving quality and reducing costs. Presentations from large employer like Boeing and Whirlpool to the Department of Defense and the Veterans’ Administration to community organizations who have implanted Medical Home programs described their programs and the lessons they have learned.

The basic concepts for both the PCMH and ACO are helping organizations to create systems where care delivery is performed by a team of professionals led by the primary care physician and are held accountable for the care they provide.   As the name implies, the patient and the family are the major focus of the program. Engaging them into the process is key to the success.  The programs that have been successful have learned the importance of identifying patients at risk and developing a coordinated plan with the help of a multidisciplinary team to meet their needs.

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Project Gives Patients a Peek at Provider’s Notes

Researchers are testing whether patients do better if given access to their medical chart notes. The “OpenNotes” project will send participants an e-mail after each office visit telling them that the notes written by their health care provider are available online. Researchers then will track whether people read the comments and how they use the information.

Final Rule Defines Care Meaningful Use Mandates for Providers

The final rule on meaningful use of health information technology requires doctors, nurse practitioners and other eligible professionals to meet 15 core objectives, plus five out of 10 measures that they get to choose, to receive federal incentives. These core meaningful use requirements for providers include using CPOE to generate one or more drug orders for more than 30% of patients.

Study Shows Low Cholesterol-screening Rates Among Young Adults

Researchers examined data from national health and nutrition surveys of more than 2,500 young adults and found that fewer than 50% had their cholesterol levels checked from 1999 to 2006, even though most of them exhibited one or more of the risk factors for coronary heart disease, including obesity and smoking. They also found that many of the adults surveyed had high rates of heart disease and related conditions as well as elevated levels of bad cholesterol.

Pharmacists Can Fill Doctor-shortage Gap, Save on Costs

With a looming shortage of doctors and nurses, pharmacists could team up with doctors to order tests, adjust drug dosages and monitor compliance. “The next, critical step is to change the reimbursement codes of the Center for Medicaid and Medicare Services to allow pharmacists to play a larger role in patient care.

Credentialing: The Gateway to Healthcare Quality

Credentialing is an essential part of ensuring patients and others that care is of the highest quality, but obtaining the right background information can be burdensome given that information is taken from a variety of sources, including Excel spreadsheets. The credentialing process should determine what level of education, skills and licensing a candidate has, and this information is vital in assigning privileges, tracking CEUs and completing other processes. Credentialing should be repeated every two years to ensure qualifications are maintained and that payor information is up to date so that hospitals can bill appropriate services without problems.

Sitting Too Much May Increase Risk of Dying

People who sat at least six hours daily were more likely to die sooner than those who spent less than three hours a day sitting, U.S. researchers reported. The study also found that mortality risk was even higher for people who spent a lot of time sitting and did not exercise regularly, even when taking other possible side effects, such as obesity, out of the equation.

Get 10,000 Steps a Day Easily in Three 30 Minute Walks

It is not as difficult as people think to get in the recommended 10,000 steps per day if you break it up into three walks of 20 to 30 minutes each. Using a pedometer or iPhone app can help keep track of distance, but figure 10,000 steps is five miles of walking.

Unreasonable Stress Affects Women More Than Men

A global survey of almost 30,000 people showed that, across occupations, women more than men experience unreasonable work-related stress caused by such concerns as career growth, fair performance assessment and equal opportunities. The results suggest that “fewer women feel that achieving career goals are likely while maintaining a balance between personal and professional lives,” a research consultant said.