Patient satisfaction with medical home quality high

A significant majority of patients report experiencing a high quality of care at federally-supported health centers with patient-centered medical home (PCMH) attributes, study findings indicate.

"PCMH attributes related to access to care and communication were associated with greater likelihood of patients reporting high-quality care," Lydie A. Lebrun-Harris, PhD, MPH, from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in Baltimore, and colleagues reported in  Annals of Family Medicine.

They analyzed data from a nationally representative sample of 4,562 people who participated in the 2009 Health Center Patient Survey. Patient perceptions of quality and PCMH attributes were assessed.

The researchers found that 84% of patients reported excellent/very good overall quality of services, 81% reported excellent/very good quality of clinician care and 84% were very likely to refer friends and relatives.