Patient Centered Medical Home: Creating A Blueprint for Quality Healthcare Through Illustrative Simulation

The advent of healthcare reform in the U.S. presents an unprecedented challenge to academic institutions that are striving to prepare a workforce to interact with individuals needing care in a variety of new practice settings. Patient-centered care is a core objective of these evolving settings which enhance access to a variety professionals and services in one location. This study was conducted over a period of three years and describes how illustrative simulation can be employed as a learning intervention to prepare graduate students for the expanded scope of practice necessary to function in the Patient Centered Medical Home healthcare delivery setting. The authors’ evaluation revealed that doctor of nursing practice students’ perceived illustrative simulation strengthened their understanding of: (a) the Institute of Medicine Core Competencies for a New Vision for Health Professionals, (b) the four competency domains identified by the Interprofessional Education Collaborative, and (c) the eligibility standards for National Committee for Quality Assurance – Patient Centered Medical Home recognition