Practices Increasing PCMH Capacities for Chronic Patients

Medical practices have significantly increased the implementation of patient-centered medical home (PCMH) practices over time to try and provide better care for patients with chronic illnesses, according to an article published online January 5 in Health Affairs.

James A. Wiley, PhD, from the Institute for Health Policy Studies, University of California, San Francisco, and colleagues analyzed data from three national surveys of physician practices conducted between 2006 and 2013.

The trend of implementing PCMH processes overall covers small and medium-size practices, as well as large practices, but large practices have used fewer than half of the recommended processes, they write.

"People with chronic illnesses cost the health care system $1.5 trillion, or about 75 percent of total health care expenditures," the analysts write.

"Caring for people with chronic illnesses provides a crucial test for health care reform."

The analysts extracted data from the National Study of Physician Organizations 3, conducted between January 2012 and November 2013; the National Study of Physician Organizations 2, conducted between July 2006 and March 2007; and the National Study of Small and Medium-sized Physician Practices, conducted between July 2007 and March 2009.