TransforMED Launches MHIQ 3 to Gauge PCMH Progress

TransforMED, the AAFP's wholly owned, nonprofit subsidiary, recently launched an enhanced version of its free online assessment tool, which is designed to help physicians measure their progress toward patient-centered medical home (PCMH) recognition.

The tool, dubbed the Medical Home Implementation Quotient 3 (MHIQ 3), allows physicians to assess how their practices match up with essential elements of the National Committee for Quality Assurance's (NCQA's) PCMH 2011 standards and guidelines.

The comparison is intended to serve as a yardstick for practices and does not constitute an NCQA score or award of recognition.

TransforMED's original MHIQ tool launched in 2008 and soon after was upgraded to MHIQ 2 to align with the NCQA's 2008 PCMH guidelines.

The assessment since has been completed by more than 4,000 medical practices.

According to a Feb. 9 news release from TransforMED, physicians who previously completed MHIQ 2 don't need to start the process again. Instead, established users log in, and the program automatically converts their MHIQ 2 practice scores to MHIQ 3. After answering 17 additional questions, the program will provide a new MHIQ 3 score and the option to compare results with the NCQA 2011 PCMH "must-pass" standards.

MHIQ 3 leads first-time users through a series of questions across nine modules that include queries about how the practice handles such issues as quality and safety, care coordination, health information technology, and team-based care.

TransforMED President and CEO Terry McGeeney, M.D., M.B.A., told AAFP News Now that it is important for family physicians to benchmark their performance related to PCMH implementation.

"Our MHIQ tool makes it easy for primary care practices to begin laying the groundwork for patient-centered medical home transformation," he said.