According to statistics, American women account for 90 percent of the family’s health care decisions. However, this can be a difficult task in today’s health care system.
In the past, family members could have all seen the same doctor. They are now just as likely to visit several subspecialists. If they are admitted to the hospital, their chances of seeing subspecialists could rise dramatically.
This can lead to a complex problem. Today’s health care system can make it difficult for different doctors to communicate with one another. Patients may have to fill in duplicate paperwork, undergo duplicate tests, or transport the results from one physician’s office to another. Even worse, patients may be given contradictory or incorrect diagnoses.
A Harris Interactive poll, sponsored by the American Academy of Family Physicians, found that 43 percent of women surveyed felt they needed to fill out new patient histories at each doctor’s office. Ten percent had to repeat lab tests simply because doctors weren’t communicating. Unnecessary treatments and tests not only frustrate patients but also raise America’s overall health care costs.
The solution? Family doctors are calling for patient-centered “medical home”Patients have a relationship with their primary doctor who provides complete health care. The primary care doctor is the first to contact if an illness develops and also provides ongoing care management. The patient-centered hospital is the central repository for all patient’s medical information. This ensures that the entire patient’s health care team, including subspecialists, primary care physicians, hospitals and pharmacists, has access to the care being offered.
This communication among health professionals is becoming more common with electronic health records which store patients’ medical histories. E-mail communication is another way for patients to communicate with their doctors electronically.
Patients-centered medicine home requires such conveniences, as extended hours and same-day appointments.
Family physicians are leading the way in the development of the patient-centered medical home model. Familydoctor.org offers information on the health care provided in family medicine.
