Medical Home Approach Pays Off for Doctors, Patients SEATTLE (KPLU) -

A new approach to basic medical care is proving effective. That's according to researchers at Group Health Research Institute, in Seattle.

It's meant to solve a simmering crisis in the world of primary medical care, which includes family doctors, pediatricians and others who don't specialize in just one part of the body. There's a high burnout rate and a looming doctor shortage.

"We decided we needed to do something different," says Dr. Michael Soman, who oversees the 900 physicians who practice at Group Health Cooperative. He launched an experiment two years ago called a "medical home," starting with Group Health's Factoria clinic.

More time with the doctor saves money

The medical home model emphasizes the relationship between the patient and the medical staff. Each primary care doctor now has 20% fewer patients to worry about - and can spend a half-hour per appointment, with time set aside for talking to patients on the phone or through email. The medical home also builds more of a team approach, by having doctors, nurses and pharmacists discuss each patient's needs.

Group Health kept careful track of how much it cost, and surveyed patients and doctors about how they felt. Overall, the medical home approach saved money, because there was a big drop in Emergency Department and hospital visits. And now, Soman says its easier to recruit young primary care doctors because they want to be in the medical-home model.

The findings are published in the journal Health Affairs, in a special issue about primary care. It also highlights a new Seattle doctors' group called Qliance, which also uses the medical home model, but does not accept traditional insurance. Instead, patients pay a monthly membership fee.

Expect to hear more about medical homes, since the new federal health care law calls for more of these experiments. Already, other groups of pediatricians and family doctors around Puget Sound are trying out their own versions of the medical home.

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