A patient-centered medical home-like model implemented in a teaching clinic produced positive effects on patient and resident physician satisfaction, but had no effect on emergency department or hospital use, according to a study published in JAMA Internal Medicine.
During the one-year study, 4,676 patients were treated. Compared with the baseline scores, patient-reported access and satisfaction improved more in the PCMH clinic than in a non-PCMH clinic. For instance, satisfaction with urgent appointment scheduling increased from 12 percent to 53 percent in the PCMH clinic, while in the control clinics the scores improved from 14 percent to 18 percent.
However, emergency department use did not differ between the PCMH clinic and the control. Additionally, the PCMH clinic saw an increase in hospitalizations while the control clinic saw a decrease.
"Our experience may be relevant to other teaching clinics, including those championing teaching health centers. Our findings also demonstrate the feasibility of quality-improvement efforts and system-based reforms in teaching settings," the study's conclusion states.
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