Rural Family Physicians in Patient Centered Medical Homes Have a Broader Scope of Practice

Abstract

Overview Rural family physicians often have a broader scope of practice, defined as the range of clinical and procedural services that they provide, than urban family physicians. The Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH) model of care is intended to provide accessible and comprehensive care, but little is known about how practicing in a PCMH is associated with rural family physicians’ scope of practice. Using data from 18,846 family physicians nationally, we found that rural family physicians working in PCMH practices generally provide a wider scope of clinical and procedural services than those not working in PCMH practices.