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Patient-centered medical model focus of new health care legislation
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LOS ANGELES — Patient-centered care is a focus of health care reform, according to Mariell L. Jessup, MD, FAHA, FACC, FESC, medical director of the Penn Heart and Vascular Center, Philadelphia, who delivered the keynote address at the American Association of Heart Failure Nurses Annual Conference.
During her presentation, Jessup discussed the implications of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) on care delivery. She noted that the emphasis on both cost reduction and improved quality of care, coupled with the increased number of people with access to care, will present challenges for health care providers.
“This is going to produce a lot of tension, because those are all conflicting needs,” Jessup said.
Mariell L. Jessup
According to Jessup, one way to meet the demands outlined by the ACA is through patient-centered care — specifically, through the patient-centered medical home, a model of primary care with a team-based approach that encourages health care providers to treat patients where they live, rather than in a hospital or office setting.
“The new model is going to reward efficiency and effectiveness,” Jessup said.
She added that, in order for a patient-centered approach to work, medical professionals need to focus on patient self-care and education. “You can’t have self-care without patient education, so we really have to figure out what that is going to look like in the future,” Jessup said.
She also recommended involving the patient in decision-making and planning for their care, as well as embracing technology that can aid in home-based care.
“You need to be an advocate for your patient,” she said. “You need to make sure that they are taking advantage of the new benefits that are being given to them.”
For more information:
Jessup M. Keynote: Impact of Health Care Reform on HF Management. Presented at: the American Association of Heart Failure Nurses Annual Conference; June 26-28, 2014; Los Angeles.
Disclosure: Jessup reports no relevant financial disclosures.