title: Relationship of clinic medical home scores to health care costs.
abstract: Multilevel, multivariate models examined the relationship between Primary Care Medical Home (PCMH) practice systems as measured by the Physician Practice Connections®-Readiness Survey™ (PPC®-RS™) and costs (total, outpatient, and inpatient) using 2008 patient data from 21 primary care clinics. Overall, PPC-RS scores were associated with insignificant changes in total (-$75/person, 1.1%) outpatient (-$67/person, 1.2%), and inpatient ($68/person, 0.5%) costs. However, improved PPC-RS scores were associated with significant decreases in total ($2378, 4.4%) and outpatient ($1282/person, 3.5%) costs among patients with 11 or more prescriptions suggesting higher functioning PCMHs may lead to reduced costs among the most complex and costly patients.
authors.affiliation: HealthPartners Research Foundation, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55440-1524, USA. Thomas.J.Flottemesch@healthpartners.com
authors.forename: Thomas J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Flottemesch
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fontaine
authors.forename: Stephen E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Asche
authors.forename: Leif I
authors.initials: LI
authors.lastname: Solberg
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D017048:Health Care Costs; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D005102:Health Expenditures; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D018802:Patient-Centered Care / Q000592:standards*; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D055815:Young Adult