A 57-year-old low risk healthcare worker went into his physician office recently for a completely routine check-up.  He had no complaints and the internist proceeded to probing the chronic problem list with questions.  The blood pressure was under excellent control on Lisinopril.  A 2008 lipid profile showed the cholesterol under excellent control with Simvastatin.  The last hearing evaluation was from 2006 and the patient had no sense of worsening high frequency hearing loss.  The sleep apnea appeared under good control and there had been no weight gain since a CPAP machine was started in 2006.  A colonoscopy done in 2000, at age 47, for occasional blood noted on the toilet tissue, was negative. There were no new GI symptoms and the hemocult exam was negative.  A review of past immunizations disclosed the absence of a hepatitis A or B vaccine. The physical was normal except for a small mole on the back that was “probably normal.  

At Quest, we identify medicine as evidence-based when it has shown there is a health benefit. Quality Quest has chosen to follow guidelines established by the Institute for Clinical Systems Improvement (ICSI). Since its start in 1993, ICSI has worked in Minnesota to improve patient care by promoting evidence-based medicine. ICSI is a non-profit organization that’s comprised of 57 medical groups and sponsored by six Minnesota and Wisconsin health plans. A team of medical experts developed best-practice guidelines for many medical conditions based on what was known about their value. ICSI categorizes guidelines on two levels, best evidence and good evidence, and includes a third level of services that have incomplete evidence. These guidelines are updated yearly based on new practices and information.

Patients and families have the potential to be one of the most powerful forces driving improvement in our healthcare system. Quality Quest for Health of Illinois is working to make sure people have information to help them get excellent healthcare. The healthcare they need and deserve. We're on a quest to improve healthcare and you can help.

So what exactly is this new “Patient Centered Medical Home” (PCMH) and why has it become  the new buzzword for healthcare reform? Matter of fact, it is mentioned at least 15 times in the recent healthcare reform legislation.  Recognizing that having access to primary care is the key to improving healthcare outcomes, everyone from payers, purchasers, physicians and patients are hoping that the medical home will improve quality and drive down healthcare costs.

A substantial part of reducing waste in healthcare can be accomplished through widespread institution of electronic health records (EHRs). Too often, tests and procedures are repeated on patients because the providers do not have records of what care the patient has already had. This kind of unnecessary care makes up more than $500 billion every year that, with EHRs, could be cut out of healthcare spending. EHRs are also useful in tracking both long- and short-term care schedules, keeping providers and patients aware of when procedures like mammograms, colonoscopies, and diabetes-related tests need to be done.