Physicians meet discuss new primary care techniques

MARQUETTE — A number of physicians gathered in Marquette Friday for the Patient-Centered Medical Home Symposium.

The conference is designed to give U.P. physicians an opportunity to meet with each other without having to travel downstate to share ideas.  Physicians learned about new techniques and ideas relating to patient and primary care.

“It’s not just the medical side, it’s the processes that may be used in offices, some of the new delivery systems that are there, whether it’s pharmaceutical or whether it’s medical or information,” Upper Peninsula Health Plan CEO Dennis Smith said.

One new technique discussed is a patient care transformation project which looks at the population of medical practices to help improve the quality of healthcare.

“Lets say a physician says ‘Okay I have these six patients that are chronically going for readmission or they’re not compliant’.  That individual can work on those groupings of patients as opposed to just one on one when they’re there those five, ten, or twenty-five minutes for their appointment.  Really work with them offline, call them, follow up with them to make sure they’re taking their medications or their diet or exercise or whatever the overall care plan calls for,” Smith said.

The symposium was sponsored by the U.P. Health Plan and the Michigan Primary Care Consortium.