adminRecognizing the growing importance of physician-led health care teams to address access to care, as well as to help shape delivery and payment models, the AMA on June 10, 2014, adopted recommended models and guidelines for team-based care.
According to the AMA, when planning a team-based health care model, each practice should consider patient-centered care, teamwork, clinical roles and responsibilities, and practice management.
PAMED supports two bills that would further promote team-based care in Pennsylvania by establishing the Patient-Centered Medical Home Advisory Council. Senate Bill 1083 and House Bill 1655 would ensure that all members of the health care team work together in a coordinate, efficient manner to achieve the triple aim in health care: ensuring patients receive the highest quality care, at the lowest cost, resulting in optimal clinical outcomes.
“Team-based care models of care — not independent models— are the future of health care,” said the PAMED and AMA in a joint letter to the Pennsylvania Senate on April 14, 2014.
According to the AMA policy, medical teams are led by physicians who have ultimate responsibility and authority to carry out final decisions about the composition of the team, practitioners are trained according to their unique function in the team, communication about patient care between team members is routine, and team members complete tasks according to agree upon protocols as directed by the physician leader.
Within the team’s clinical roles and responsibilities, physician leaders are focused on individualized patient care and the development of treatment plans. Non-physician practitioners are focused on providing treatment within their scope of practice, consistent with their education and training.