Don’t Delay: Comment On Our Proposed PCMH Standards Now
July 6, 2016 · Amy Maciejowski
If you have been keeping up with our blog posts, you know that a big change is occurring at NCQA. A big change that will affect a significant portion of our readers. Our Recognition Redesign.
We’ve had blog posts and emails communicating the change. You’ve also heard from pilot practices on their experience with our redesign during our most recent Google Hangout. Now, there’s another opportunity to hear more. We want you to know our plans, and for us to hear from you.
NCQA released updates to our 2017 standards for the Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) Recognition program. These will be the standards used for the newly redesigned PCMH recognition process.
Here’s the Game Plan:
Our approach in updating the standards was to reflect what it really means to be part of a medical home and deliver patient-centered care. The proposed 2017 PCMH standards focus on identifying best practices and core activities that signal a primary care practice functions as a medical home.
One of the critiques we received about our recognition program is that reviews were process-related, rather than driven by outcomes achieved. In the 2017 standards we address this concern by focusing more on outcomes, promoting measurement at the clinician and practice level and improve shared-decision making between the patients and their families.
A Key Change in Structure
As we’ve said. This is a complete redesign for our recognition programs. So, we didn’t just update language in the standards. We’ve changed the structure of the requirements.
The PCMH 2017 requirements are organized into two groups: core and additional criteria. The core requirements are necessary for all practices to meet to receive PCMH recognition. These are requirements that we see as essential and that really make up the essence of what it means to be a PCMH. The additional criteria list important requirements for practices to demonstrate, but practices only need to fulfill a portion of the listed items. Practices can pick and choose items based on their individual practice, their community and the population served. Within the additional criteria, some requirements are noted as advanced. Those noted as advanced are more challenging and are above and beyond what a typical practice does.
After fulfilling these requirements, practices will be designated a “Recognized” or “Not Recognized” status. There will no longer be Level 1, Level 2 or Level 3.
Now What?
We are looking for your feedback on how we should structure the new standards.
You have already gone through this process; you know the details. Look through our proposed 2017 standards. Do we have the right items designated as core, additional criteria and advanced? What about the number of requirements that need to be completed? Is it too much, or too little?
You can find the complete list of requirements, and the opportunity to comment here. But, don’t wait. The public comment period closes July 15th!
We look forward to hearing from you. Your input is valuable in making the recognition redesign process better align with what you are doing in your practice.
