Pharmacy in an Improved Health Care Delivery Model Using Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs.

Our objective is to suggest a revised model of health care delivery that emphasizes human connections in patient care and describes the role of pharmacists within the model. Improving the quality of patient experiences is one of the triple aims of health care delivery. Using the patient-centered medical home (PCMH) model as the basis, we describe an enhanced delivery model that adopts Maslow's hierarchy of needs and addresses the current deficiencies of the PCMH model. The model envisions the creation of "community centers for engagement" that employ patient care advocates and health care practitioners who work together in an interdisciplinary manner to improve the quality of patient care experiences. Pharmacists' roles in these centers of engagement are outlined based on Maslow's hierarchy of needs. The model aims to enhance patient-provider interactions and allow pharmacists to play a pivotal role in meeting patients' needs with the goal of developing a self-actualized patient.