Benefits of the Medical Home

Continuous Innovation in Health Care: Implications of the Geisinger Experience.

Medical homes. At Geisinger, the implementation of patient-centered medical homes has meant round-the-clock access to primary and specialty care services, which are enhanced through the use of nurse care coordinators, care management support, and home-based monitoring. Physicians and patients alike have access to electronic health records (EHRs); for patients, this means they can view lab results, schedule appointments, receive reminders, and e-mail their providers. To encourage physician participation in the medical home innovation, Geisinger provides practice-based monthly payments of $1,800 per physician, and stipends of $5,000 per 1,000 Medicare patients to help finance additional staff. Preliminary data show a 20 percent reduction in hospital admissions and 7 percent savings in total medical costs. Based on this success, Geisinger is expanding the initiative to additional practice sites.