Brockton Neighborhood Health Center uses clinical practice guidelines in order to provide evidence-based care to all patients. This is a key aspect of the health center’s Patient-Centered Medical Home initiative, as well as its Quality Improvement program.
Evidence-based Clinical Practice Guidelines are the most current and up-to-date standards of care that have been developed by medical groups, their associated medical organizations and related scientific institutions. These evidence-based clinical practice guidelines are used to inform the care that BNHC provides as a key aspect of its Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH) initiative, which is a model of care that puts patients at the forefront of care. Research shows that PCMHs improve quality and the patient experience, and increase staff satisfaction, while reducing health care costs
For example, all of BNHC’s Pediatric patients age 0 to 2 are provided with immunizations to prevent them from getting communicable and other diseases during early childhood. To develop the schedule of immunizations that they should receive, the health center uses evidence-based clinical practice guidelines created by The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).
By providing care that meets the elements of evidence-based clinical practice guidelines as described by AAP, such as the suggested Immunization schedule, the practice can provide accountability that it is delivering quality care that meets the best-known medical standards for its pediatric patients.