Table 4.

PCMH Activities Lacking Significant Differences in Spending and Utilization From the Baseline Period to the 3rd Year of the MAPCP Demonstration

PCMH ActivityTotal Health Care Expenditures PBPM ($)Acute-Care Hospital Expenditures PBPM ($)All-Cause Hospital Admissions RateaED Visit Ratea
Appointment systems have the capacity for walk-ins or same-day visits7.34
(P = 0.79)
5.76
(P = 0.60)
–1.06
(P = 0.64)
2.24
(P = 0.53)
Clinician/practice team has a system to triage patient problems through telephone or e-mail communications or face-to-face visits, with same-day visits usually available6.30
(P = 0.82)
–1.37
(P = 0.92)
–0.95
(P = 0.72)
–1.54
(P = 0.73)
After-hours access to the practice team for urgent care is available by telephone, and in-person during some evenings or weekends; The practice also coordinates ED care, and follows-up with patients after ED visits3.53
(P = 0.80)
–5.49
(P = 0.49)
–0.69
(P = 0.67)
0.50
(P = 0.90)
Alternate types of contact (e-mail, web portal, text message) are used in patient-practice communication, and responses are provided within a timely and consistent timeframe7.89
(P = 0.67)
–7.37
(P = 0.44)
–0.48
(P = 0.81)
–7.66
(P = 0.06)
Tracking and follow-up with patients for important referrals is consistently done–8.59
(P = 0.64)
–5.97
(P = 0.50)
2.21
(P = 0.41)
0.67
(P = 0.83)
Patient referral information to specialists, hospitals, and other medical care providers is consistently transmitted by the practice14.09
(P = 0.62)
5.47
(P = 0.75)
–1.02
(P = 0.62)
2.66
(P = 0.68)
Practices follow up with patients who have been referred to behavioral health supports or community-based resources (eg, social services)17.20
(P = 0.26)
13.83
(P = 0.11)
0.28
(P = 0.90)
–2.86
(P = 0.46)
Follow-up with patients seen in the ED or hospital is done routinely after receiving notification from the ED or hospital–31.05
(P = 0.16)
–15.03
(P = 0.17)
–1.65
(P = 0.37)
–5.96
(P = 0.11)
Visit focus is organized around the reason for a patient’s visit, but with attention to ongoing chronic care and prevention needs–16.67
(P = 0.42)
–13.93
(P = 0.21)
–1.93
(P = 0.36)
–2.03
(P = 0.58)
Medication review for patients on multiple medications is done during care transitions, when patients receive new medications, and during all regularly scheduled visits11.51
(P = 0.48)
–1.04
(P = 0.93)
2.29
(P = 0.21)
10.03
(P = 0.19)
Practice identifies complex patients who may benefit from clinical care management, and actively coordinates their care management with other clinicians and caregivers–13.48
(P = 0.48)
–2.89
(P = 0.76)
–3.44
(P = 0.12)
–10.14
(P = 0.13)
Tracking and follow-up with patients about test results is consistently done for all tests–9.25
(P = 0.60)
–16.94
(P = 0.09)
–1.51
(P = 0.58)
–5.41
(P = 0.32)
Care plans for patients with chronic conditions are recorded in patient medical records, used to guide care, and are given to the patient–16.53
(P = 0.22)
–9.65
(P = 0.17)
–1.53
(P = 0.31)
–0.64
(P = 0.84)
Assessing patient values and preferences (eg, for end-of-life care, role in decision-making) is done for all patients with significant health problems or who articulate values and preferences themselves–15.92
(P = 0.28)
–10.93
(P = 0.13)
–0.28
(P = 0.85)
–7.12
(P = 0.16)
Involving patients in shared decision-making is a priority and systematically done, through clinical decision aids, motivational interviewing, and/or teach-back techniques5.17
(P = 0.74)
7.93
(P = 0.37)
0.85
(P = 0.65)
–5.54
(P = 0.12)
Feedback to the practice from patients is regularly and formally collected (eg, through a patient survey or focus group) and informally (eg, through specific patients’ concerns), and used to improve the practice0.46
(P = 0.97)
2.67
(P = 0.75)
1.00
(P = 0.63)
–5.31
(P = 0.13)
  • ED = emergency department; MAPCP = Multi-Payer Advanced Primary Care Practice; PBPM = per beneficiary per month; PCMH = patient-centered medical home.

  • Note: A negative value indicates slower growth in spending or utilization among beneficiaries served by practices that engaged in a particular PCMH activity relative to beneficiaries in practices that did not, which is considered a favorable outcome. A positive value indicates faster growth among beneficiaries served by practices that engaged in a particular PCMH activity relative to beneficiaries in practices that did not, which is an unfavorable outcome.

  • a Utilization measures are the number of hospital admissions or the number of emergency department visits not leading to a hospitalization per 1,000 beneficiary quarters.