The Houston Chronicle published a feature story about medical homes, which provide “personal and coordinated care” for seniors. Personal doctors coordinate the care seniors receive and manage it from a central location, and patients have more access to doctors and medical records.
Medical home coordinator Dr. Trevor Rabie said, “Many patients feel that if they go to a specialist or sub-specialist for each aspect of their medical care, that they’re actually improving their medical care. But then there’s no coordination and no one really looking at the patient as a whole, and that’s the real crux of the medical home.”
Medical homes may cut down on appointment wait times. At the clinic mentioned in the story, patients can attend health care talks and work out on “senior-friendly” exercise machines. Rabie said he hopes the clinic will be able to add specialists like a dietician or an exercise physiologist to the program.