COLLABORATION | with caregivers and patients to create healthier lives
PATIENT-CENTERED MEDICAL HOME
The best way to care for our patients is through a comprehensive,
coordinated approach that strengthens the doctor and patient relationship,
and also ensures optimal outcomes for patients as caregivers work
together to address patients’ needs. Patients are the focus of the patientcentered medical home (PCMH) model and primary care physicians are
the hub, coordinating all relevant care needs. This makes sense for many
reasons: Primary care physicians are the people who are usually most
familiar with a patient’s health status, and they have the expertise to call
in specialists as needed.
PCMH efforts at Baylor Scott & White in Central Texas benefit from
the organization’s electronic medical record (EMR) system. The EMR
system catalogs each patient’s medical histories, giving their caregivers
efficient and needed access to such information while patients are in their
care. While this model of care is still in its infancy within the healthcare
industry, Baylor Scott & White is taking steps to integrate it throughout the
healthcare system, making patients’ experiences with us even better.
Convenient
Access
Focus on
Wellness and
Disease
Prevention
Performance
Improvement
Coordinated
Care
YOU
AND YOUR
PROVIDER
Support and
Resources for
Self-Care
8
THE CATALYST December 14 | sw.org
Personalized
Care Plans
among other benefits. It is a great example
of ways Baylor Scott & White has
taken a lead in adopting technology
to advance the delivery of powerful
medicine, while empowering our
patients. But the most significant
benefit of MyChart is having an extra
layer of patient safety built in to the
program, which isn’t necessarily visible
to our patients. “Through MyChart,
we can alert patients quickly if there’s
been a medical device recall, or other
important notice, such as an interaction
between medicines that we want our
patients to be aware of. These are
tremendous advantages, especially if
patients have moved or are difficult to
reach,” says Dr. Couchman. MyChart
engages patients to actively seek
medical reports, check laboratory and
screening test results, and communicate
with caregivers. All of these benefits
combine to likely make them
more proactive in their own health
management, medication compliance,
and engagement in healthy behaviors.
An intense focus on achieving
the best possible patient outcomes
is facilitated by steady access to
information and best practices across
the board.
Our health system has stayed true
to a century-long legacy of helping
people, with a continuum of care
specifically designed for each patient.
For the thousands of patients who’ve
had an experience with us, we hope they
realize they’re the center of everything
we do. And that our legacy guides
our future. n