MSU and Priority Health collaborate on PCMH project

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has awarded a $1.2 million grant to Michigan State University (MSU) to evaluate the effectiveness of patient-centered medical home (PCMH) pilot projects at Priority Health and Independent Health, a New York plan.

Priority Health and Independent Health offer an ideal comparison opportunity since both are community-based health plans (members of the Alliance of Community Health Plans), which began pilot projects in 2009.

The research will assess the advantages and disadvantages of each pilot on patient experience, cost, quality and outcomes. The three-year grant will analyze claims data from the pilot practices of each plan from 2009 through 2011. Patient and physician satisfaction also will be evaluated.

Rebecca Malouin, Ph.D., M.P.H., who has served as external evaluator for the Priority Health PCMH project since its inception, is the principal investigator of the study. Dr. Malouin serves as director of Primary Care Research and Evaluation Programs at the MSU College of Human Medicine.

Priority Health Chief Medical Officer Jim Byrne, M.D., will also serve on the research team.

HHS announced the grant as part of the investments made under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, which included $1.1 billion to support patient-centered outcomes research.

Topics: