Query: What Does Patient-Centered Medical Home Mean?
Context: Although the name may suggest, a patient-centered medical home is not actually a physical building. Rather, it is a model of care that aims to transform the delivery of comprehensive primary and specialty care to children, adolescents, and adults. This kind of care involves a wide variety of specialists and doctors communicating with each other to provide the best possible care for yourself or a loved one. Throughout each step of your care, the team communicates to one another to ensure high quality, efficient care. A patient-centered medical home can include:
Physicians
Physician assistants
Nurse practitioners
Pharmacists
Nutritionists/Dietitians
Social workers
Care coordinators
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a disease that lends itself well to a team-based approach. Patients with IBD, including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, often require treatment from a multidisciplinary team of gastroenterologists, surgeons, nutritionists, pain management specialists, and more to address the full spectrum of care. These visits can accrue high expenses for patients and their insurance carriers. Currently, UPMC Total Care-IBD is the first patient-centered medical home in the country that treats patients with ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. UPMC Total Care-IBD treats those patients whose primary reason to see a doctor is their Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis. The team has data to prove that this level of coordinated care had led to improved care and lower medical costs. To learn more about UPMC Total Care-IBD, email digestivedisorders@upmc.edu, or call 412-647-2183.