Studies of interdisciplinary health care teams have demonstrated that use of these teams can lead to improvements in the quality of primary care, but their impact on total health care costs and utilization has not received sufficient attention. Still, evidence suggests that these teams may help expand capacity to provide primary care services. But doing so will require the financial support of federal, state, and private payers, as well as an investment of time by health care providers. Read more »
In a pilot program, the national insurer Aetna has placed nurse case managers in 36 primary care practices to work alongside providers in their offices to help manage patients' conditions. Thus far, the program has involved some 20,000 patients, all members of Aetna's Medicare Advantage plan, and has resulted in improved care processes, some improvements in outcomes, and reduced numbers of hospitalizations. Read more »
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