Joint guidelines released for recognition, accreditation of patient-centered medical homes

The American College of Physicians, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Osteopathic Association released joint guidelines last week on recognition and accreditation of patient-centered medical homes (PCMHs).

The organizations developed the 13 guidelines to describe important elements considered essential for effective PCMH recognition programs. According to the guidelines, all PCMH recognition or accreditation programs should:

1. 1. incorporate the Joint Principles of the PCMH, as developed by the four organizations in 2007;address the complete scope of primary care services;ensure the incorporation of patient- and family-centered care emphasizing engagement of patients, their families, and their caregivers;engage multiple stakeholders in the development and implementation of the program;align standards, elements, characteristics, and/or measures with meaningful use requirements;identify essential standards, elements, and characteristics;address the core concept of continuous improvement that is central to the PCMH model;allow for innovative ideas;acknowledge care coordination within the medical neighborhood;clearly identify PCMH recognition or accreditation requirements for training programs;ensure transparency in program structure and scoring;apply reasonable documentation/data collection requirements; andconduct evaluations of the program's effectiveness and implement improvements over time.

The joint guidelines have been sent to the National Committee for Quality Assurance, the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care, The Joint Commission, and URAC, all of which have or plan to soon release programs related to PCMH recognition or accreditation.

ACP president J. Fred Ralston Jr., FACP, said in a press release, “The consideration of these joint guidelines for PCMH recognition programs will help ensure that recognized practices truly provide patient-centered care that is effectively integrated and of high quality.”

The full text of the guidelines is available online.