Nurse practitioners play a significant role in providing quality care at an affordable cost for all patients regardless of their medical conditions. The patient-centered medical home and value-based payment models will inform my work as an NP by placing the patient at the center of healthcare to reduce the cost of prevention, treatment, and management of medical conditions in healthcare settings. The models will provide the basis for which I can actively engage the patient in the continuum of care to achieve effective and fast outcomes from the care process. I understand the need to receive payment for care based on quality and value as opposed to the volume of services provided to patients. The models will also help in the implementation of more ethical care in which the NP focuses on the most effective outcome at the least possible cost.
The patient-centered medical home and value-based payment models have the potential to change the way primary care is delivered in the United States. The country has essentially rewarded health care providers for volume and quantity instead of the quality of care provided to patients. Therefore, the implementation of the models will reduce the cost of care and promote quality. The solution rests on the need to consider the patient as an important part of the care process and providing compassionate and empathetic care at the most affordable cost. The models will improve primary care by coordinating the process from diagnosis to treatment and ensuring that providers work together to achieve positive care outcomes. Coordinated primary care will reduce the cost by eradicating unnecessary services and tests, enhance collaboration for positive patient experience, and hence, improve the overall quality of care for individuals and the entire populations.