Refining Reporting Mechanisms in Oregon's Patient-Centered Primary Care Home Program to Improve Performance

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Health Policy
• Primary Care Transformation

Background:

• The Oregon Health Authority implemented the Patient-Centered Primary Care Home (PCPCH) Program in 2009 to achieve the Triple Aim.
• By 2014, the PCPCH Program recognized over 500 primary care practices, becoming central to Oregon's health service delivery transformation strategy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and apply a synthesized attribute scoring methodology for evaluating PCPCH practices.
• To assess practice performance overall and across the model's six core attributes: access, accountability, comprehensive care, continuity, coordination, and person-centered care.

Main Methods:

• The scoring methodology was developed using data from Oregon's PCPCH recognition application and a survey of recognized practices.
• The method builds upon prior medical home research and was pilot-tested on 30 practices (2011 standards) and adapted for 400 practices (2014 standards).

Main Results:

• The developed scoring method effectively reports performance to stakeholders, including provider practices.
• Scores facilitate comparisons across similar practices and core attributes, enabling analysis of practice transformation over time.
• The methodology identifies opportunities for improvement and technical assistance for both practices and the Oregon Health Authority.

Conclusions:

• The PCPCH Program and its evaluation methodology demonstrate potential for replication in other states.
• The article provides insights into implementation strategies, the efficacy of the PCPCH model, and lessons learned from the Oregon experience.