Evaluating the Effects of EHRs, P4P and Medical Home Redesign in the Hudson Valley

Electronic Health Records, Quality of Health Care

electronic health records, health information technology, physician incentives, quality of health care

The investigators will conduct a longitudinal cohort study with concurrent controls. The investigators will include all primary care physicians in the Hudson Valley including family practitioners, internists, and pediatricians. The purpose of this study is to determine the effects of implementing electronic health records (EHRs), pay-for-performance incentives for physicians (P4P), and Medical Home redesign on health care quality, cost and patient experience in the Hudson Valley.

The Hudson Valley is implementing several innovative programs to potentially improve quality and reduce the cost of health care delivered. First the Taconic Health Information Network and Communities Regional Health Information Organization (THINC RHIO) is facilitating diffusion of EHRs in office practices in the Hudson Valley. Second, THINC RHIO is also offering a strategic approach to pay-for-performance. Third, an additional component of the THINC P4P project will be an added financial incentive for private practice physicians who implement and reach Level II of Physician Practice Connections® - Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH)™, NCQA's new national recognition system for physician practices. Our study will seek to determine the effect of each of these initiatives on health care quality and cost of care in the Hudson Valley. We will also measure the patient experience before and after implementation of the Medical Home.

United States