Analytical Interpretation of the Patient Centered Medical Home: A Meta-Review of the Literature
Medical care in the United States is plagued by extremely high costs, inconsistent quality and fragmented delivery at best. In response to these issues new concepts of integrated health care delivery systems have been developed. The Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) is an increasingly popular health care delivery model that emphasizes continuous coordinated patient care. In theory, the PCMH takes a preventative approach to medicine that addresses the individual not the disease, and takes a holistic approach to health care. The PCMH model has been shown to lower health care costs while improving health care outcomes. Despite PCMH being a new movement in the business, little agreement is reached concerning the definition and practice of PCMH, nor specifics on implementation or anticipated barriers. As Americans seek for ways to fix the health care crisis,' the PCMH offers an alluring model for improved health care delivery while containing the ever escalating costs associated. Appropriate analysis of the feasibility of this model, including limitations and barriers to implementation are necessary at the birth of proposed health care reforms emerge. This article will report relevant research related to cost effectiveness, health care outcomes, and barriers to implementation and utilization of the patient-centered medical home model being applied at the primary level of care.
Patient Centered Medical Home, PCMH, Health Care, Health Care Reform, Primary Care, Rural Medical Care, Health Care Delivery
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