Skip to main content
Rural Health Information Hub

Patient-Centered Medical Home Model

The patient-centered medical home (PCMH) is a provider-based model for care coordination that can be implemented within a primary care practice. The PCMH, as defined by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and the Patient-Centered Primary Care Collaborative, is a model for providing patient care that is comprehensive, patient-centered, coordinated, accessible, and high quality.

In 2007, the Joint Principles of the Patient-Centered Medical Home were released by the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Physicians, and the American Osteopathic Association.

Characteristics of the PCMH model include:

  • A strong relationship between every patient and a primary care physician
  • Coordination between the physician and the practice’s team of clinicians
  • Coordination of the patient’s care across various healthcare settings
  • The use of health information technology and analytical tools to facilitate care coordination

More about this model:

Resources to Learn More

Building Your Medical Home Toolkit
Website
The toolkit provides information to support the development and/or improvement of a pediatric PCMH.
Organization(s): American Academy of Pediatrics

Patient-Centered Medical Home
Website
This website provides resources on NCQA’s patient-centered medical home model for providers interested in becoming a PCMH.
Organization(s): National Committee for Quality Assurance

The Patient-Centered Medical Home's Impact on Cost and Quality: Annual Review of Evidence, 2013-2014
Document
This review document resents outcomes reported by PCMH programs in peer-reviewed literature, program evaluations, and other publications.
Organization(s): Patient-Centered Primary Care Collaborative
Date: 1/2015

Patient-Centered Primary Care Collaborative Webinars
Website
A collection of webinars produced by the Patient-Centered Primary Care Collaborative on a range of PCMH-related topics.
Organization(s): Patient-Centered Primary Care Collaborative

The Safety Net Medical Home Initiative: Patient-Centered Care for the Safety-Net System
Document
This toolkit provides implementation guides for providers interested in becoming a PCMH.
Organization(s): The Commonwealth Fund
Date: 10/2014