July 3, 2012 - What are the necessary characteristics of a medical home, and what changes must physician practices make to their infrastructure, organization, and care delivery processes to fully transform? Commonwealth Fund–supported researchers reviewed the professional literature and convened a panel of experts to find out.
In Brief
July 2, 2012 - This Commonwealth Fund–supported found that primary care offices that offer after-hours care achieve physician buy-in; effective communication; make appropriate staffing adjustments, and make an overall commitment to improving access and continuity in patient–provider relationships.
In the Literature
June 26, 2012 - This Commonwealth Fund-supported study of federally funded health centers calls for evidence-based payment for medical homes.
In the Literature
June 11, 2012 - This issue brief clarifies the essential features of practice coaching and offers guidance for health system leaders, public and private insurers, and federal and state policymakers on how best to structure and design these programs in primary care settings.
Issue Brief
May 16, 2012 - A new analysis of the Commonwealth Fund 2010 Biennial Health Insurance Survey demonstrates that when low-income adults have both health insurance and a medical home, they are less likely to report cost-related access problems, more likely to be up-to-date with preventive screenings, and report greater satisfaction with the quality of their care.
Issue Brief
May 16, 2012 - This Commonwealth Fund data brief describes how more than 70 researchers came together as part of the Patient-Centered Medical Home Evaluators’ Collaborative to identify a set of standardized measures to assess patient-centered medical homes.
Data Brief
May 11, 2012 - The authors of this Commonwealth Fund-supported study argue that physicians must develop competencies to provide culturally sensitive care to a more diverse patient population.
In Brief
April 16, 2012 - In this article, experts at The Commonwealth Fund examine the role the law will have in increasing the use of preventive health services. The authors estimate that through expanded access to insurance coverage, reduced financial barriers to care, and improved quality of care delivery, an additional 9.8 million patients will receive recommended preventive services.
In Brief
April 3, 2012 - This article, based on a Commonwealth Fund/Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality international conference on primary care, shows how strong primary care can provide the groundwork for efforts to improve overall care and population health while also controlling costs.
In the Literature
March 29, 2012 - An international survey of adults with complex health care needs found wide variations in the degree to which patients are engaged in their own care, from self-managing a health condition to actively participating in treatment decisions.
In the Literature
March 27, 2012 - This study supports use of both the long and short versions of the Care Transitions Measure in national public reporting efforts.
In Brief
March 27, 2012 - In a Commonwealth Fund–supported study conducted at a community nonprofit hospital, researchers examined the Care Transitions Measure’s ability to identify deficiencies in transitional care for older patients being discharged.
In Brief
February 27, 2012 - The patient-centered medical home has been proposed as a model for transforming primary care and improving efficiency and effectiveness in the health care system. This report outlines and describes the changes that most medical practices would need to make to become patient-centered medical homes.
Fund Report
February 21, 2012 - This Commonwealth Fund–supported study investigated the common assumption that such online access can engage patients and encourage them to take active roles in their health and care.
In Brief
February 21, 2012 - This Commonwealth Fund–supported study sought to investigate the extent to which patient activation, as assessed by the Patient Activation Measure (PAM), is related to health and utilization outcomes among a large group of insured patients.
In Brief