Five national foundations have announced a collaboration to transform care delivery for high-need, high-cost patients—people with multiple chronic illnesses as well as often challenging social needs and limited ability to care for themselves. Writing in the New England Journal of Medicine, leaders from The Commonwealth Fund, the John A. Hartford Foundation, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Peterson Center on Healthcare, and The SCAN Foundation said they will develop resources and tools to meet three urgent goals:
- understanding this diverse population
- identifying evidence-based programs that offer high-quality integrated care at a lower cost
- accelerating the adoption of these programs nationally.
Last week, The Commonwealth Fund launched a series of case studies profiling innovative programs designed for high-need, high-cost patients. Our series kicks off with a profile of MedStar Washington Hospital Center’s Medical House Call Program, which relies on geriatricians, nurse practitioners, and social workers to make house calls to frail elders who are unable to make it to the doctor’s office. Learn more about our new series on To the Point.
