Report: PCMH model leads to reduced cost of care, improved population health

A patient-centered medical home (PCMH) model resulted in reduced costs of care, unnecessary emergency room (ER) and hospital visits, and improved population health, according to a research report by the Patient-Centered Primary Care Collaborative.

The Collaborative partnered with Milbank Memorial Fund to produce the report, "The Patient-Centered Medical Home's Impact on Cost & Quality: An Annual Update of the Evidence, 2012-2013," to examine cost and utilization, population health and prevention, access to care, and patient or clinician satisfaction under PCMH.

The report focused on studies released between August 2012 and December 2013 and revealed common metrics, including:

• Decreases in the cost of care: 61 percent of peer-reviewed studies and 57 percent of industry reports noted drops in per member, per month costs, return on investment and total cost of care.
• Reductions in the use of unnecessary or avoidable services: 61 percent of peer-reviewed studies and 57 percent of industry-generated reports showed drops in ER or urgent care visits, while 31 percent of peer-reviewed studies and 57 percent of industry-generated reports saw declines in inpatient admissions, with hospital readmissions falling in 13 percent of peer-reviewed studies and 29 percent of industry-generated ones.
• Improvements in population-health indicators and preventive services: 31 percent of peer-reviewed studies and 29 percent of industry-generated studies saw better controlled HbA1c, blood pressure and LDL levels, as well as an increase in screening and immunization rates.
• Improvements in access to care: 31 percent of peer-reviewed studies and 29 percent of industry-generated studies noted better overall access to primary care doctors, as well as non-face-to-face visits.Improvements in patient satisfaction: 23 percent of peer-reviewed and 14 percent of industry-generated studies saw a rise in overall satisfaction, the number of patients who recommended the practice to family and friends, and increased satisfaction with provider communications.