MHMD, the physician network of Houston-based Memorial Hermann Healthcare System, is implementing a new patient-centered medical program that will rely on IT, including its HIE, to keep providers up-to-date on patients' conditions.

Officials said the program aims to provide major improvements in medical care at the level of the primary care physician practice. Called Advanced Primary Care Practices, or Advanced PCPs, the program is being developed in collaboration with Memorial Hermann.

Central to Advanced PCPs is the embedding of innovative information technology, including a point-of-care tool and the Memorial Hermann Information Exchange (MHiE), said officials. These will provide physicians and nurses with real-time, up-to-date information on the health status of each patient at the time of the actual patient visit or telephone call.

Using MHiE will enable the Advanced Practices to share clinical data with each other in a privacy-protected manner that will help avoid unnecessary duplication of medical services. For instance, physicians can be prompted to order and schedule needed tests and vaccinations, or alerted to changes in medications made by other physicians. They can also be notified of abnormal lab values and prompted to intervene appropriately.

"The patient-centered medical home is really the new model of healthcare for the 21st century," said Kevin Giglio, MD, an advanced PCPs physician and one of the leaders of the program. "It combines family medicine's traditional hands-on approach with the latest technology and additional patient resources. The result is that patients receive the right care, at the right time, in the right setting. MHMD's Advanced Primary Care Practices will set a new standard of excellence in health care."

Primary care physicians participating in the Advanced PCPs program must practice evidence-based medicine, and evaluate and report their performance on nationally accepted and validated clinical and satisfaction metrics. They will promote patient self-management and embrace patient registry data collection and electronic prescribing, said officials.

Physicians who are part of the Advanced PCPs program will also engage in performance measurement and improvement activities, and patients will be encouraged to participate actively in decision-making and discussions to set and achieve healthcare goals and expectations.

"MHMD's Advanced Primary Care Practices will usher in a new era of healthcare for Memorial Hermann-affiliated physicians and their patients," said Keith Fernandez, MD, chairman of the board, MHMD. "Healthcare is more complex and more difficult to navigate then it has ever been. This collaboration between the healthcare system and its affiliated physicians will translate into better care at significant cost savings."