IV Post

That can be a complicated problem. In today's health care system, different doctors might not communicate with one another, and patients might have to fill out duplicate paperwork, take unneeded or duplicate tests or carry the results from one doctor's office to another. Worse, they may receive contradictory advice or diagnoses.

In a recent Harris Interactive poll sponsored by the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), 43 percent of the women surveyed said they had to fill out new patient histories and forms at every doctor's office. Ten percent repeated lab tests, simply because doctors didn't communicate. Unnecessary tests and treatments not only frustrate patients, but they also raise America's health care costs.

The solution? Family physicians are calling for patient-centered "medical home" practices, in which patients have an ongoing relationship with their primary care doctor, who provides comprehensive health care. In the patient-centered medical home, the primary care doctor helps prevent illnesses through wellness care, is the first contact when an illness occurs and provides chronic care management. The patient-centered medical home becomes the central location for the patient's medical records and ensures that all members of the patient's health care team -; the primary care physician, subspecialists, pharmacist, hospitals and others -; know about the care being given.

Increasingly, this communication among health team members occurs with electronic health records that store patients' health histories. Electronic technology also allows patients to easily communicate with their doctors by e-mail.

In addition, the patient-centered medical home calls for such conveniences as extended office hours and same-day appointments.

The patient-centered medical home concept is taking hold across the country, and family physicians are at the forefront in developing this model. To learn more about the health care provided by family physicians, visit familydoctor.org.