Study of Small Medical Home Practices Finds Fewer ER Visits
<p>Early findings from a Commonwealth Fund–supported evaluation of one of the first medical home programs involving multiple payers show that participating physician practices achieved some notable improvements, including a significant reduction in emergency room visits for conditions that could have been treated in an ambulatory care setting, like a doctor’s office. </p><p>The <a href="/publications/journal-article/2013/sep/effect-multipayer-patient-centered-medical-home-health-care">new study,</a> published today in <em>JAMA Internal Medicine</em> and led by Meredith B. Rosenthal of the Harvard School of Public Health, also found that the five small, independent primary care practices taking part in the Rhode Island–based program improved their ability over two years to prospectively manage their patient populations and to track and coordinate care. </p>
<p>In patient-centered medical homes, clinicians and other health professionals team up to provide comprehensive, coordinated, accessible services that are tailored to the needs of patients. Previous studies have indicated that the medical home model has produced more modest results for smaller medical practices than for large integrated health systems. </p>
<p>Read more about the new study on <a href="/publications/journal-article/2013/sep/effect-multipayer-patient-centered-medical-home-health-care">commonwealthfund.org.</a></p>