Social needs case management programs can be effective in reducing hospital readmissions for older patients, but cost and lack of participation in these programs hinder their success, new research points out.
Investigators from Contra Costa Health Services in Martinez, CA, analyzed the effectiveness of a case management program for 58,000 randomized Medicaid patients in the San Francisco Bay area who were at elevated risk for healthcare use between August 2017 and December 2018.
Enrollees were offered 12 months of case management, with more intensive services provided to patients with greater demonstrated needs. According to the Contra Costa website, some of the services of case management programs include healthcare risk assessments and care coordination, good health check-up programs, and transition initiatives.
Researchers found that enrollees in the case management program had fewer avoidable emergency department visits and hospitalizations than those who did not receive the intervention.
However, only 40% in the intervention group engaged with the program, revealing a need for greater patient participation.
The researchers concluded that while social management programs can be effective in improving healthcare for older adults, providers need to identify ways to increase patient participation and reduce program costs.
“Although social needs case management programs may reduce healthcare use, these savings may not cover full program costs,” the authors wrote. “More work is needed to identify ways to increase patient uptake and define characteristics of successful programs.
The study appeared in the July 5 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine. Contra Costa Health Services funded the study via the Medicaid waiver program.
