Oncology Medical Home Recognition
Oncology practices have a unique relationship with patients: they take on the principal long-term care in active cancer treatment. Oncology medical homes align systems and resources with coordinated care focused on cancer patients and their needs. This reduces fragmentation, supports shared decision making and improves the patient experience.
What is Oncology Medical Home Recognition?
NCQA Oncology Medical Home Recognition builds on the Joint Principles of the Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) and patient-centered specialty practice (PCSP). It encourages practices to organize care around patients, work in teams and coordinate and track care over time.
The NCQA Recognition program outlines essential components of oncology care. It guides practices toward using a systematic approach to tracking care and communicating with patients, caregivers and the care team.
Overview
Why Oncology Medical Home Recognition?
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Increased patient-centered access.
Patient and clinicians can access care, retrieve important information and get clinical advice, when and where they need it, to ensure that symptoms are managed effectively and unnecessary ED visits or hospitalizations are avoided.
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Improve shared decision making.
Oncology medical homes mean engaged patients, a vital element cited by the Institute of Medicine for improved cancer care.
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Improve coordination of care.
The PCMH model promotes coordination of care in a care team and among clinicians at different practice sites. Improved communication and coordination lead to consistent clinical advice and a better patient experience overall.2
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Improve the patient experience.
Patients say they want the type of care found in the medical home model. A 2015 Advisory Board research report found that cancer patients care most about services related to convenience and coordination, and want to play an active role in their care.
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Continuous quality improvement.
As part of NCQA’s Recognition program, practices can obtain elective credits for measuring standardized, cross-cutting oncology measures. This ensures that the practice is focused on ongoing improvement.
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Lower cost of care.
An oncology care home model has been shown to reduce hospitalizations, length of stay for admitted patients and a decrease in ED visits.
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