What defines a “patient-centered medical home” (PCMH)?

A Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) is fundamentally defined by its emphasis on comprehensive and continuous care for patients. This model is designed to provide a holistic approach to healthcare, where a team of healthcare providers collaborates to ensure that patients receive not only immediate treatment for illnesses but also preventive care and management of chronic conditions over time.

In a PCMH, the focus is on building long-term relationships between patients and their primary care teams. This facilitates coordinated care, meaning that health services are organized and integrated, allowing for smoother transitions between different stages of care. The overarching goal is to enhance care quality, improve patient satisfaction, and reduce healthcare costs by avoiding unnecessary duplications of service through better management of patient care.

The other options do not accurately capture the essence of a PCMH. For instance, a model that focuses on episodic care delivery does not align with the continuous and proactive care emphasized in a PCMH. Likewise, a system that minimizes patient involvement contradicts the patient-centered philosophy where active patient engagement is crucial. Lastly, a type of healthcare plan with limited provider options does not reflect the comprehensive and accessible care philosophy inherent in the PCMH model.