Patient-Centered Medical Home standards to change, NCQA says

The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) wants to better integrate behavioral healthcare with primary care.

In fact, the change is spelled out in new proposed standards for its Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) program.

The changes are necessary to reflect current trends in healthcare and to place greater emphasis on outcome measures and reduced costs of care, NCQA explains.

“The proposed fifth iteration of the PCMH recognition program emphasizes outcome measures, resource stewardship like avoiding unnecessary/duplicative testing, and a focused approach to targeting resources to patients based on need.

Other revisions include:

•  applicability of standards to pediatric practices, and

•  continued alignment with the government’s meaningful use Stage 2 requirements.

The five draft standards up for review include:

1.   Enhance access and continuity

2.   Identify and manage patient populations

3.   Plan and manage care (includes self-management support)

4.   Track and coordinate care

5.   Performance measurement and quality improvement.

NCQA has opened up the draft to collect comments through July 22, and plans to launch the program update by March 2014.