Medical home: Promoting patient-centered health care

Going on regular medical checkups can be a hassle as it’s often hard to get an appointment. You rush to get there but you end up waiting especially if your doctor is running late. So even though he or she would like to spend more time with you, your doctor only has few minutes to find out what’s wrong. As a result, you end up feeling just a number on your doctor’s long list.

Image Source: greenwayhealth.com

What’s worse is if you need to see a number of specialists who may prescribe different tests and treatments and not one of them knows what the others are doing. They are each looking at a piece of you but no one sees the whole picture.

Image Source: netnewgrowth.com

There is a new approach to health care that puts all the pieces together. The patient-centered medical home provides a more personal care. This approach involves a whole team of people who know you and work together to give you the best care possible. It’s led by your personal healthcare provider who works with nurses, pharmacists, and people who will help you in medication and insurance costs to make sure everyone is on the same page when it comes to your health.

Image Source: robertrowleymd.com

For example, if you need a specialist, your team can find someone who is right for you and your personal healthcare provider will keep up on everything to help make sure the whole team is in the loop about your treatment. Many medical homes use electronic health records to help coordinate your care. With this approach, it’s easier to get care when you need it through phone calls and even same-day appointments. Preventative care is also emphasized by making sure you get annual physical exams, quarterly checkups, and required shots to ensure good health. Basically, your care is custom-made based on your health and family history.  

A medical home is a 24/7 primary care access point and source of routine medical care received by the patient. IntegraNet, a premier managed care organization founded by Larry J. Wedekind, provides cost-effective primary care alternatives to the ER and hospital settings. Be in the loop with the latest health services updates and trends by following this Twitter page.