As a family medicine physician, navigating through the world of healthcare can be challenging even in the best of circumstances. Access to primary care can make the patient experience less challenging and more successful. 

There is clear evidence that access to primary care is linked to better outcomes and lower costs for patients. Establishing a relationship with a primary care physician and medical home early helps set clear health goals and identify risks even before they become noticeable. Instead of reacting to medical issues after they start, an early relationship with a primary care physician allows a patient to focus on prevention and health. Additionally, a primary care physician serves as a liaison between a patient and any needed subspecialists in their care; the primary care physician is the foundation for coordinating continued care, explaining tests and interventions, and providing guidance and sound medical advice when things seem confusing and even scary. 

The primary care physician, however, is only part of a patient’s “medical home.” Key members of a patient’s medical home also include front desk staff members, medical assistants and scheduling staff members. These integral medical team members may be charged with receiving patient histories, administering immunizations, relaying direction from the primary care physician and other services that aim to make for an exceptional healthcare experience. The medical home may also include other medical professionals who provide patients with resources to be successful in their health. 

All of this is critical to what we call population health. Population health is having a perspective that is larger than the individual person and extends to an entire region. From this point of view, we try to answer the question: “If everyone experiences health and healthcare differently, how do we organize ourselves to get the best outcomes for everyone in the community?” In the world of population health, we have to build a structure that meets the needs of rural and urban communities, varying educational backgrounds and from the healthiest to the sickest. 

A patient-centered medical home is the foundation for improved access to care for patients. It is where patients go to find education, guidance, treatment, and ultimately comfort and care. It is the foundation on which population health is built and will ultimately determine our success in improving the health of western North Carolina.

Robert Fields, MD, practices Family Medicine at Mission My Care Plus Biltmore Park.

(828) 213-9424