Improving Care with Patient Partners

The Aligning Forces for Quality alliance in south central Pennsylvania, which includes York and Adams Counties, adapted Humboldt’s Patient Partner project to enhance its existing Patient-Centered Medical Home Collaborative. Patient Partners have focused on patient communication and self-management to help other patients take an active role in their care. Practices have begun using a validated tool to measure baseline and subsequent changes in Patient Partners’ active engagement in their own health and health care. One of the successful outcomes is the creation of a “brown bag medication review,” in which the patient brings all of his or her medications to a meeting with a provider to review indications and proper dosing. Another Patient Partner prompted another practice to add new glucometers to exam rooms. The better equipment resulted in improved interactions and patient satisfaction. Patients are happier, and staff assessments show increasing provider satisfaction with the team approach. 

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