How An Academic Direct Primary Care Clinic Served Patients from Vulnerable Communities.

Purpose: Direct primary care (DPC) critics are concerned that the periodic fee precludes participation from vulnerable populations. The purpose is to describe the demographics and appointments of a, now closed, academic DPC clinic and determine whether there are differences in vulnerability between census tracts with and without any clinic patients.

Methods: We linked geocoded data from the DPC's electronic health record with the social vulnerability index (SVI).

Patient-centered medical home: an emerging primary care model and the military health system.

The patient-centered medical home (PCMH) is a primary care model that aims to provide quality care that is coordinated, comprehensive, and cost-effective. PCMH is hinged upon building a strong patient-provider relationship and using a team-based approach to care to increase continuity and access. It is anticipated that PCMH can curb the growth of health care costs through better preventative medicine and lower utilization of services.