Connecticut finds consumers have wrong idea about "medical home"

Connecticut officials plan to launch a Medicaid medical home program in January, but in focus groups conducted on behalf of the Department of Social Services, many people were unfamiliar with the concept--and some thought "medical home" sounded "like a place you go to die," the Connecticut Mirror reports. Although participants were not familiar with medical homes, the problems they identified, including a lack of coordination between primary care providers and specialists and not being given test results, are the very issues medical homes address. (Connecticut Mirror)

Asthma linked to depression; depression can worsen asthma

People with asthma are more likely to have symptoms of depression, and this could affect their ability to manage their condition. A new study in General Hospital Psychiatry suggests these symptoms are linked to various other health risks that may lead to a worsening of asthma symptoms and an overall decline in health, reports Health Behavior News Service. "People who are depressed are more likely to...have a harder time doing things that help maintain good health," says Aviva Goral of Gertner Institute for Epidemiology and Health Policy Research, the corresponding author. (Health Behavior News Service, via Health Xpress)

Providers & Suppliers

Making the case of EHRs: Privacy concerns misplaced

Physicians: not receiving adequate EHR training

Physicians need at least three to five days of training to feel satisfied with their EHR system, and being able to easily use the EHR functions required for Meaningful Use takes two weeks of training, according to a survey by AmericanEHR Partners, an online community developed by the American College of Physicians and Cientis Technologies. About half of the 2,300 physicians polled received three or fewer days of training; some received none, FierceEMR reports. (FierceEMR; the report)

Many primary care doctors think they provide too much care

Many primary care physicians think their patients receive too much medical care, according to a Dartmouth study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine. More than 28 percent said they were practicing medicine more aggressively than they wanted to. The reasons are malpractice concerns, having to meet clinical performance measures and not having enough time with patients, AAFP News Now reports. That primary care physicians recognize the problem is important, says lead author Brenda Sirovich, MD. "[S]uccessful reform of the system to reduce unnecessary care depends on physicians being engaged." ( AAFP News Now;  Archives of Internal Medicine)

PCMH could address diabetes appointment-keeping disparities

Ethnic differences in appointment keeping may be an important factor in poor health outcomes among some minority patients with diabetes, according to a new study in Health Services Research. Latinos and African Americans were at highest risk of missing planned primary care appointments, which was associated with a greater reliance on same-day visits and substantively poorer clinical outcomes. The researchers conclude the results have important implications for public health and health plan policy, as primary care expands toward open access to care supported by the medical home model. (Newswise; Health Services Research abstract)

PCMH ideal approach for treating COPD 

An article in the Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare suggests the patient-centered medical home offers a promising approach for treating chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Optimal chronic disease management requires focusing on maintenance rather than merely acute rescue-and can reduce hospitalization. The medical home provides a promising framework, according to the authors: "PCMH methods provide multiple ways to improve COPD care where 'practice as usual' has encountered challenges." The article proposes specific PCMH care strategies for COPD. (Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare)

The Expanding PCMH: News and Updates

Fourteen community health centers in Maine   have been chosen to participate in the Advanced Primary Care Practice pilot program created by the Affordable Care Act. During the three-year program, the centers will receive additional reimbursement for coordinated care. (Bangor Daily News)

Aetna and Emory Healthcare announced an agreement to operate a patient-centered primary care pilot for Emory employees and some Medicare recipients. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)