"Living Laboratories" Across the Continuum of Care:
Innovative Spaces and Virtual Places

5.26.2009 Ambulatory Practice of the Future   SPEAKER: David Judge, MD: CIMIT, HMS, MGH MODERATOR: Ron Newbower, PhD: CIMIT

Forum Summary

The primary care system is a reactive one in which physicians often struggle to address multiple issues during short patient visits.  The physician-patient relationship is as important as ever, and a new model of care delivery is needed.  A team of primary care providers at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) is currently seeking to establish a new type of primary care practice designed to serve as a model for others.

Their model is built around a care team consisting of a physician, two nurses, a medical assistant, and a care coordinator.  The care coordinator is meant to serve as a patient advocate, and the nurses are meant to help the physician manage chronic health problems.  It will be difficult to convince third-party payers to accept such a large healthcare team, but the goal is to provide excellent patient care while still emphasizing the physician-patient relationship.   The physical space being designed for the model practice seeks to emphasize patient comfort and to provide space for members of the care team to collaborate.  The doctors hope that their new practice will also involve virtual communication with patients through email and an online patient portal.  The project is still in the planning stages, but it has received support from leaders at MGH.    

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