TY - JOUR T1 - Elements of the Patient-Centered Medical Home in Family Practices in Virginia JF - The Annals of Family Medicine JO - Ann Fam Med SP - 301 LP - 308 DO - 10.1370/afm.1021 VL - 7 IS - 4 AU - Debora Goetz Goldberg AU - Anton J. Kuzel Y1 - 2009/07/01 UR - http://www.annfammed.org/content/7/4/301.abstract N2 - PURPOSE The patient-centered medical home (PCMH) is a widely accepted theory of a practice model to improve quality of care, patient satisfaction, and access to primary care services. This study explores existing elements of the PCMH and characteristics of family practices in Virginia. METHOD We developed and administered a survey questionnaire to capture information on practice characteristics and PCMH elements. We randomly sampled 700 family medicine offices in Virginia from a population of practices derived from the Virginia Board of Medicine Practitioner Information Database. We used a mixed-mode survey, allowing practices in the sample to respond by mail or Internet or at a regional family medicine conference. RESULTS The survey resulted in a response rate of 56%, with 342 office locations participating in the study. Most practices reported continuity-of-care processes (87%) and clinical guidelines (77%). Fewer reported use of patient surveys (48%), electronic medical record for internal coordination (38%), community linkages for care (31%), and clinical performance measurement (28%). A small number reported patient registries for multiple diseases (19%). Very few practices exhibited all elements outlined in the PCMH model (1%). Practice size (number of physicians) is significantly related to PCMH model alignment. CONCLUSIONS Most family practices in Virginia exhibit some elements of the PCMH model. Full implementation of the PCMH model is low. Baseline information on practice characteristics, prevalence of PCMH, and challenges of small practices should be considered in guiding efforts, evaluating progress, and developing policies for care model reform. ER -