Table 2.

Joint Principles of the PCMH

• Personal Physician: Each patient has an ongoing relationship with a personal physician trained to provide first contact, continuous and comprehensive care

• Physician Directed Medical Practice: The personal physician leads a team of individuals at the practice level who collectively take responsibility for the ongoing care of patients

• Whole Person Orientation: The personal physician is responsible for providing for the entire patient’s healthcare needs and taking responsibility for appropriately arranging care with other qualified professionals

• Care is Coordinated and/or Integrated: across all elements of the complex healthcare system (e.g. subspecialty care, hospitals, home health agencies, nursing homes) and the patient’s community (e.g. family, public and private community based services). Care is facilitated by registries, information technology, health information exchange and other means

• Quality and Safety: are hallmarks of medical home by incorporating a care planning process, evidence based medicine, accountability, performance measurement, mutual participation and decision making

• Enhanced Access: to care is available through systems such as open scheduling, expanded hours and new options for communication between patients, their personal physician, and practice staff

• Payment: appropriately recognizes the added value provided to patients who have a patient-centered medical home beyond the traditional fee-for-service encounter

Summarized from:⁹⁹ American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), American College of Physicians (ACP), American Osteopathic Association (AOA). Joint principles of the patient-centered medical home. 2007. Available at: www.medicalhomeinfo.org/Joint%20Statement.pdf, Accessed February 2, 2010