A new report on improving the quality and availability of primary care calls for broader use of information technology and adoption of the medical home model.
The New England Healthcare Institute, a Cambridge, Mass.-based think tank, issued the report, “Remaking Primary Care: From Crisis to Opportunity.” The report calls for broader use of electronic health records and electronic prescribing to aid in the coordination of care.
It also endorses use of the medical home model. Under the model, primary care practices serve as the focal point for patient care coordination. The model advocates extensive use of I.T. to document and coordinate care across all providers and settings.
Among many other recommendations, the report says primary care physicians should be reimbursed for the time spent consulting with patients via e-mail or telephone.
To read the full report, visit http://nehi.net/.
--Howard Anderson
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