The district combined heat and power system has unique advantages in energy use. In order to accurately grasp the research focus of the combined dispatch of heat and power systems, related research hotspots of the dispatch model of combined heat and power systems are reviewed. This paper introduces the basic structure and characteristics of a combined heat and power system that targets district heating. Based on the differences in electric and thermal energy flows, the thermal characteristics of the main components of the thermal system in the joint dispatch model, the typical model of the power system, and the typical model of the electro-thermal coupling elements are analyzed. This paper summarizes the mainstream models from five perspectives of the basic dispatch model, considering energy flow differences, system uncertainty, scheduling mechanisms, and stakeholders and the electricity market dispatch model. Future research directions on the dispatch model are prospected. This work is supported by National Key Research and Development Program of China (No. 2017YFB0902100).