Pediatric-Informed Facilitation of Patient-Centered Medical Home Transformation

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Quality Improvement
• Pediatric Healthcare

Background:

• Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) transformation presents unique challenges for pediatric practices.
• The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) PCMH standards are often adult-centric.
• Vermont implemented pediatric-informed facilitators to aid pediatric PCMH transformation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of pediatric-informed facilitators on PCMH transformation in pediatric practices.
• To provide benchmark data on NCQA scores and facilitation process metrics.
• To compare outcomes between pediatric and adult-serving practices undergoing PCMH transformation.

Main Methods:

• Comparative study analyzing NCQA scores, facilitation meeting frequency, and time to recognition.
• Matched comparison of pediatric practices with adult-serving practices.
• Characterization of the role and impact of pediatric-informed facilitators.

Main Results:

• No significant difference in NCQA scores between pediatric and adult-serving practices.
• Similar number of facilitation meetings required for both groups.
• Comparable timeframes from facilitation start to NCQA scoring for pediatric and adult practices.

Conclusions:

• Pediatric-informed facilitators are effective in helping pediatric practices achieve NCQA PCMH recognition.
• Specialty-informed facilitators can successfully support primary care practices in healthcare reform efforts.
• This approach enables pediatric practices to meet PCMH standards on par with adult-serving practices.