Study: Practice Support Facilitates PCMH Transition

Written by Heather Punke | April 25, 2013

When small or solo physician practices are given practice redesign and embedded care management support, they are more likely to improve care quality and efficiency when transitioning to a patient-centered medical home, according to study results published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine. 

Researchers performed a randomized controlled trial in which intervention practices received 18 months of practice redesign support, two years of revised payment and 18 months of embedded care management support. The control practices received participation payments.

The intervention physicians improved on two quality indicators — hypertensive blood pressure control and breast cancer screenings — and one efficiency indicator — reduced emergency department visits. In the control practices, quality and efficiency of care was either unchanged or worse, according to the study.