The Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Care is set to launch a medical home certification pilot and is seeking community health centers and other primary care practices to participate.
The pilot will include an on-site survey and will offer participants a chance to see how they compare to nationally recognized standards for medical homes. Participants will also be able to consult with their peers.
The AAAHC's medical home certification pilot will not be as comprehensive as the organization's requirements for full accreditation. The organization's standards for medical homes require them to be patient-centered, physician-directed, comprehensive, accessible, continuous and organized to meet the needs of the individual patient.
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During the pilot, a surveyor will call participants prior to review. The surveyor will make an on-site visit to evaluate:
- Relationship with the patient, the patient's family and caretakers and members of the medical home health care team;
- Continuity of care, including documentation;
- Comprehensiveness of care;
- Accessibility of healthcare;
- Quality; and
- Electronic data management.
"The peer-based surveys are conducted by experienced professionals in ambulatory healthcare delivery," said John Burke, PhD, executive vice president and chief executive officer of the AAAHC, in a statement. "Medical homes that participate will have the advantage of sharing ideas and gaining insights from colleagues who are experts in medical home standards."
The number of openings available to participants is limited. Contact Ron Smothers, assistant director of the AAAHC's Accreditation Services, at rsmothers@aaahc.org to participate.