Patient-Centered Primary Care Collaborative. (2011). Patient Centered Medical Home: Performance Metrics for Employers. Washington, DC: Sherman, B., Parry, T., & Hanson, J. Retrieved from http://www.pcpcc.net/files/metrics_guide_2011.pdf.
As private and public employers strive to improve workforce health and control healthcare costs, the patient centered medical home (PCMH) is emerging as an important strategic component
to achieve these goals. The PCMH enables clinicians to deliver better quality care more efficiently. Central attributes of the PCMH include a holistic, team-based approach to primary care that is accessible, coordinated, and comprehensive. PCMH incorporates re-engineering of office processes and payment systems to reward an ongoing primary care physician-patient relationship and high-quality, coordinated care. Through better informa- tion management, use of guidelines and coordinated care, PCMH can contribute to better quality of care, which, in turn, drives cost reductions through avoided hospitalizations and emergency department visits.
While employer interest in PCMH continues to rise, an important issue facing employers concerns the measurement of value of PCMH implementation. From a pragmatic perspective, this information is necessary to help justify initial and ongoing employer investments in PCMH. And despite this observation, there is no consensus regarding specific measures or metrics to evaluate PCMH program effectiveness.