Adirondack Region Medical Home Pilot
I found a great resource related to the practitioner-patient relationship in and around Essex County. The Adirondack Region Medical Home Pilot is a collaborative effort by health care providers and insurers to transform the healthcare delivery system to one that is amenable to better quality of care, better access and communication in the rural Upstate New York area. Several primary care practices of Essex County participate in this program as part of the Northern Adirondack Pod. Other practices of the Lake George pod and Tri-Lakes pod participate as well to form a cohesive team-based approach to medical care with the primary care physician in the lead. This model of healthcare emphasizes several goals that I feel are most important in a practitioner-patient relationship. The program values preventative care, enhanced management of chronic conditions and close relationships between patients and primary care providers. This model ensures that patients have better communication with their physicians as patients can expect to hear more often and more regularly from their doctor's office. Furthermore, this program specifically targets those with chronic conditions (ie: diabetes, hypertension, coronary artery disease, asthma) by emphasizing frequent communication to ensure that an effective plan of care is followed and managed. In addition, the primary care physician takes the lead and coordinates the care of these patients if they need to be hospitalized or need to see a specialist.
I think that this sounds like an ideal model and a great way to improve the relationship between the physician and patient. I think that the lack of cohesion in a patient's overall care is the greatest downfall of today's healthcare delivery system. This program ensures that the primary care physician is involved in all aspects of the patient's care. This consistency will result in an improved quality of care. The model allows the relationship between patient and physician to strengthen. I feel that this relationship builds the foundation for any successful healthcare model.
