Two recent reports extoll the virtues of the Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) and direct primary/concierge care. One is the annual report of the Patient-Centered Primary Care Collaborative. The other is a study of a network called MD-Value in Prevention (MDVIP). Before I continue, let me be clear that there are positives...
Read More »

I recently received this email message from one of my residents who has moonlighted in a local commercial urgent care center. This message is reprinted with his permission just as I received it, except I removed the brand name. “Hey Dr. Young, I’m looking for some basic mentoring advice.  I’ve been moonlighting...
Read More »

I’ve just come back from my semi-annual renewal in my belief that family medicine is the foundational solution to make healthcare more affordable in America: the interim session of the Texas Academy of Family Physicians. The most important activity at these meetings is the networking: the chance to bounce ideas and...
Read More »

A study in Archives of Internal Medicine surveyed a national sample of internists and family physicians about cost issues in medicine. Over 600 responded. 42% felt that most patients in their own practices receive too much care, only 6% said too little. When asked why some patients received too much care,...
Read More »

Many well-meaning patient advocates want patients to become more empowered in their own care, which could take many forms. The technology companies and EMR supporters of course want this to happen electronically. “Smart” cards could contain every detail of a person’s medical history and records. But do patients really want this?...
Read More »

Paul Grundy MD, MPH, FACOEM, FACPM is IBM’s Director of Healthcare, Technology and Strategic Initiatives for IBM’s Global Well Being Services and Health Benefits. He has led the development of the Patient-Centered Primary Care Collaborative www.pcpcc.net, which is leading the way to create a more efficient and responsive healthcare system. Before...
Read More »

When I first stared hearing about the Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) concept, I perceived it to be a euphemism. For whatever reason, the concept of primary care or family medicine hasn’t resonated with politicians, corporate benefits managers, or the general public. To me “medical home” was just a warm fuzzy term...
Read More »