Patient-Centered Medical Homes: How the Federally Supported Model Minimizes Healthcare Access Disparities for Older Adults in Rural Areas

Abstract

The federal United States government supports the Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) model to improve American's access to quality healthcare. Healthcare access in the Southern United States is especially problematic given its high rurality, hospital closure rate, number of medically underserved areas, and older adult population. This study explored older adults' ability to obtain health services and PCMHs' impact on reducing healthcare access disparities in rural areas. Adults 65 and older were surveyed using a modified version of the Commonwealth Fund's Health Care Quality Survey (N = 746). Analyses included t-test, ANOVA, crosstabulation, chi-square, and multiple linear regression. A significant relationship was found between healthcare access and care source, with PCMH users more likely to report access than persons with a regular care source. PCMH use was also significantly associated with gender, age, income, urban-rural status, health status, and local healthcare quality satisfaction. PCMH accreditors should target rural areas with high rates of older adults, poverty, chronic disease, and poor healthcare quality to minimize healthcare disparities.

Keywords: United States; aged; health services; healthcare access; healthcare disparities; healthcare quality; older adults; patient-centered care; rural.

Figure 1.

Percentage of older Georgians reporting “always” getting medical care when needed based on care source type. ALT TEXT: Bar graph showing the percent of older Georgians reporting “always” getting medical care when needed based on care source type, with data labels.