The Joint Commission is currently developing a Primary Care Home (PCH) designation as an optional add-on to its Ambulatory Care Accreditation Program. As part of this process, the Joint Commission released proposed standards for review and comment in early 2011.
The proposed standards do not specifically require that the PCH be led by a physician, which is the model that the AMA adopted in 2008. This model was put forward by the American Academy of Family Physicians, American Academy of Pediatrics, American College of Physicians, and the American Osteopathic Association.
The proposed standards will undergo pilot testing before they are considered for approval. Final standards are expected to be available in spring 2011. On-site surveys of organizations interested in PCH accreditation are slated to begin around July 2011.
A Primary Care Home Initiative Expert Panel was formed to guide the development of supplemental ambulatory care accreditation standards. The panel will provide input on a variety of topics, including the roles and responsibilities of the primary care practitioner and care team, processes necessary to ensure and support continuity of care and incorporate pain management, and operational topics related to access to care.