An AHA Research Synthesis Report

Patient-Centered Medical Home: An AHA Research Synthesis Report presents key features of patient-centered medical homes (PCMH) and includes valuable considerations for hospitals interested in developing a PCMH.

After defining PCMHs and discussing particular opportunities and challenges that they bring the report puts them in context of health care reform. It highlights similarities and differences between PMCHs and accountable care organizations (ACOs). The report provides examples of federal medical home demonstrations, state specific initiatives, and private medical home programs.

The report provides five ways that hospitals can support the development of a PCMH:

• Convene affiliated physicians to further develop the strong relationships necessary for a successful PCMH
• Offer information technology networks and capital resources to primary care providers. This will help the providers communicate with the hospital.
• Offer staff resources and other functionalities to support PCMHs with staff resources and other functionalities
• Offer management expertise to primary care providers
• Use participation in PCMH to serve as an administrator of bundled payment

Hospitals are supported with prescribed next steps and an appendix and resource section. The appendix contains The National Committee for Quality Assurance 2011 PCMH standards and the Joint Principles for the Patient-Centered Medical Home from the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), American College of Physicians (ACP), and American Osteopathic Association (AOA). The resource section is five valuable pages long and includes overviews of legislation and proposals, evaluation of demonstration projects, and summaries of other published literature.

Patient-Centered Medical Home: An AHA Research Synthesis Report, is the third in a series of reports presented by the American Hospital Association Committee on Research. These reports synthesize key literature on issues relating to the AHA's 2010-2012 research agenda. The Committee on Research also serves as the board of trustees for HRET (Health Research & Educational Trust).