Staying Out of the Hospital: Case Studies of Innovative Care Management Programs
<p>Preventing avoidable hospital admissions and readmissions is a mounting priority for policymakers and health systems across the U.S. Research suggests that many readmissions can be prevented with evidence-based care provided in the hospital, along with comprehensive discharge planning, supportive transitions in care, and timely primary care.</p><p>A new <a href="/publications/case-study/2013/jan/gaining-ground-care-management-programs-reduce-hospital-admissions">case study series</a> from The Commonwealth Fund examines the potential of three promising care management programs designed to reduce hospitalizations or rehospitalizations for high-risk patients: Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center’s Asthma Improvement Collaborative, UCSF Medical Center's Heart Failure Care Management Program, and the Visiting Nurse Service of New York's Choice Health Plans, which serve special-needs patients dually enrolled in Medicare and Medicaid. </p>
<p>Each site has undertaken a bundle of interventions involving multidisciplinary teams focused on improving provider communication, patient and family education, transitions from the hospital, and follow-up ambulatory care. </p>
<p>Visit commonwealthfund.org to download the case studies along with a synthesis of findings from all three sites, <a href="/publications/case-study/2013/jan/gaining-ground-care-management-programs-reduce-hospital-admissions">Gaining Ground: Care Management Programs to Reduce Hospital Admissions and Readmissions Among Chronically Ill and Vulnerable Patients</a>. </p>