The new model of family medicine: what's in it for you.

Dr. Bagley is the AAFP’s medical director of quality improvement. He was formerly in private practice for more than 25 years in Latham, N.Y., where he led his practice’s participation in the Institute for Healthcare Improvement’s Idealized Design of Clinical Office Practice initiative. Conflicts of interest: none reported. After nearly two years and a lot of research, the Future of Family Medicine project undertaken by the AAFP and other family medicine organizations is complete. One of its primary objectives was “to recommend changes to the discipline so that family medicine can better meet the health care needs of patients in a changing environment.” In March 2004, the project leadership team reported the need for sweeping change in medical education, residency training and practice organization. It also proposed a “New Model” of practice for family medicine, which includes the following characteristics: • A personal medical home for each patient, • Patient-centered care, • A team approach to care, • Elimination of barriers to care, • Advanced information systems, including integrated electronic health records (EHRs), • Redesigned, functional offices, • Whole-person orientation, • Care provided within a community context, • Emphasis on quality and safety, • Enhanced practice finances (through operating efficiencies and new revenue streams), • A commitment to provide family medicine’s “basket of services.” If you are like many family physicians, you may be asking yourself, “What does all this mean for me and my practice?” or “Why should I make changes now, when I can wait and see how things shake out?” If you are struggling with long days, overbooked appointment schedules, difficulty returning phone calls, poor staff morale, or stagnant or shrinking personal income, there may be something in this “new model” for you. ➤ Bruce Bagley, MD