Accessible

  • Primary care is readily accessible, both in person and virtually for all individuals regardless of linguistic, literacy, socioeconomic, cognitive or physical barriers. As the first source of care, clinicians and staff are available and responsive when, where and how individuals and families need them.
  • Primary care facilitates access to the broader health care system, acting as a gateway to high-value care and community resources.
  • Primary care provides individuals with easy, routine access to their health information.

Resources

Hiding in Plain Sight: Investing in Primary Care Can Heal Our Dysfunctional Health Care System

June 2024

Access & Equity in Medicaid

August 2023

Access & Equity in Medicaid

August 2023

Estimated Effect on Life Expectancy of Alleviating Primary Care Shortages in the United States

Annals of Internal Medicine - July 2021

Higher Medicare Spending On Imaging And Lab Services After Primary Care Physician Group Vertical Integration

Health Affairs - May 2021

Geographic variation in overscreening for colorectal, cervical, and breast cancer among older adults

JAMA Network Open - July 2020

A comparison of contemporary versus older studies of aspirin for primary prevention

Family Practice - June 2020

Effects of antihypertensive medication reduction vs usual care on short-term blood pressure control in patients with hypertension aged 80 years and older: The OPTIMISE randomized clinical trial

JAMA Network - May 2020

Geisinger COVID-19 Chatbox

Geisinger Health Plan - April 2020

Maine Primary Care Spending Report-MQF

January 2020

Use of Patient Portals for People with Long-Term Health Problems

August 2019

Association of Primary Care Physician Supply with Population Mortality in the United States, 2005-2015

JAMA Internal Medicine - February 2019

Access to Health Services

Healthy people 2020 - December 2018
This resource focuses on three components of access to care: insurance coverage, health services, and timeliness of care. All of these are important parts of access, as access cannot be truly achieved without the consideration of all three. It also discusses some barriers to access and how they can be overcome. Access is important to eliminating health disparities and ensuring that individuals have equitable care across demographics.

Patient-Centered Medical Home Implementation and Improved Chronic Disease Quality: A Longitudinal Observational Study

Health Services Research - November 2018

Opportunistic screening for heart failure with natriuretic peptides in patients with atrial fibrillation: a meta-analysis of individual participant data of four screening studies

Heart (BMJ Journal) - August 2018

Background Note on Direct Primary Care

Harvard Medical School Center for Primary Care - July 2017
The model of Direct Primary Care is a subscription-based model aiming to circumvent the barriers posed by coding and payment schemes in traditional fee-for-service care. This model improves continuity as well as accessibility of care for patients. It also works to focus on the patient as a person rather than focusing on the payment scheme, making care more equitable.

Glucose self-monitoring in non-insulin-treated patients with type 2 diabetes in primary care settings: A randomized trial

JAMA Internal Medicine - July 2017

Healthcare Access in Rural Communities

Rural Health Information Hub - June 2017
This resource explores disparities in access to healthcare for rural communities. It includes guides to policy changes that will address these barriers in access to care. Primary care providers act as a key access point for these patients and primary care practices will be critical in improving access for these communities.

Practical, Proven, and Scalable Approaches to Advancing Primary Care Delivery

United Healthgroup - June 2017
This resource discusses how delivering primary care and preventative services in-home can be an effective way to improve access and quality. It gives example of practical approaches to practice transformation that increase access.

Accessible and continuous primary care may help reduce rates of emergency department use

Family Practice - October 2015
A continuous relationship between patients and their primary care providers was shown to reduce emergency department use. Ensuring that patients have access to this type of continuous primary care can result in cost savings and improves outcomes.

Enhancing Oral Health Access Through Safety Net Partnerships: A Primer and Resource Guide for Medicaid Agencies

NASHP - August 2015
Dental care is an important part of comprehensive primary care, especially for children and young adults. This resource explores how a collaboration between safety net programs and oral health providers helps to create access for vulnerable populations, leading to more equitable care.

Accessibility from the Patient Perspective: Comparison of Primary Healthcare Evaluation Instruments

Healthcare Policy - December 2011
This analysis was designed to compare how well accessibility was measured to evaluate primary healthcare from the patient’s perspective. It analyzes certain subscales that effectively measure accessibility.

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Comprehensive and Equitable
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