The Joint Commission is developing standards to expand the process of accrediting ambulatory health care organizations to those who are also interested in electing the Primary Care Home option. This initiative complements the Ambulatory Care Accreditation Program. This initiative is designed to combine the improvements in quality of care and patient safety achieved through accreditation with increased reimbursement from third party payers when the additional requirements of a Primary Care Home are met.
Proposed new standards for the Primary Care Home Initiative are expected to be posted for a field review in early 2011 followed by pilot testing of the standards. If approved in accordance with the expected timetable, standards would be available in spring 2011, and on-site surveys of organizations interested in Primary Care Home accreditation would begin in July 2011. To learn more click here.
AAAHC offers accreditation to a variety of ambulatory settings: ambulatory and surgery centers, managed care organizations, Indian and student health centers, among others. They offer peer based on-site accreditation surveys for organizations seeking Medical Home accreditation. The AAAHC Accreditation Handbook for Ambulatory Health Care provides specific standards for the Medical Home. The standards specify that an accredited Medical Home is patient-centered, physician-directed, comprehensive, accessible, provides for continuity of care, and is organized to meet the needs of the individual patient, including use of electronic technology. The survey includes assessment of staff, facility, equipment, medical procedures and coordination of care procedures. Click here for information on AAAHC medical home accreditation
URAC, a health care accreditation and education organization, offers a Patient Centered Health Care Home Program Toolkit. This new program provides an educational approach practices and other organizations can use to facilitate the transformation of practices to a patient centered health care home.
The toolkit contains
1. Practice Assessment Standards, Interpretive Guidance and Checklist,
2. Performance Measures Information Resource
3. Patient Survey Information Resource.
Click here to download the toolkit.