Findings from RAND Broaden Understanding of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (Detection of Undiagnosed Disease in Medicare Beneficiaries After a…

Findings from RAND Broaden Understanding of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (Detection of Undiagnosed Disease in Medicare Beneficiaries After a Clinical Home Visit)

By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Weekly News -- Investigators publish new report on Lung Diseases and Conditions - Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. According to news reporting originating from Boston, Massachusetts, by VerticalNews correspondents, research stated, "Undiagnosed chronic conditions are a common and costly problem in Medicare patients. This study examined whether a clinical home visit program was associated with an increased future detection of undiagnosed diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and atrial fibrillation."

Our news editors obtained a quote from the research from RAND, "Members of Medicare Advantage Plans (MAP), including Chronic Special Needs Plans (C-SNP), were identified who received a comprehensive geriatric home visit under United Health Group's HouseCalls program and those who did not. Members with no medical or prescription drug claim for diabetes, COPD, and atrial fibrillation in the 12 months prior to the visit were selected. New diagnoses were then identified based on claims for office visits and/or prescription drugs in the 6 months after the HouseCalls visit. Members who received a visit had a significantly higher rate of detection of previously undiagnosed diabetes and COPD, but not of atrial fibrillation. The detection rates for diabetes within 6 months of the visit were 2.8% versus 2.3% (P < 0.01) for MAP and 7.1% versus 5.6% (P < 0.01) for C-SNP members. For COPD, 2.5% versus 2.2% (P < 0.01) of members in MAP and 5.3% versus 4.3% (P < 0.01) of members in C-SNP were newly diagnosed. New diagnoses for atrial fibrillation were not significantly more common for members in MAP (1.4% versus 1.3%)) and C-SNP (1.9% versus 2.1%)."

According to the news editors, the research concluded: "These findings suggest that a home visit program, such as HouseCalls, is a promising avenue to address the hidden disease burden and unmet care needs in the Medicare population."

For more information on this research see: Detection of Undiagnosed Disease in Medicare Beneficiaries After a Clinical Home Visit. Population Health Management, 2017;20(1):41-47. Population Health Management can be contacted at: Mary Ann Liebert, Inc, 140 Huguenot Street, 3RD Fl, New Rochelle, NY 10801, USA. (Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. - www.liebertpub.com; Population Health Management - www.liebertpub.com/overview/population-health-management-formerly-disease-management/301/)

The news editors report that additional information may be obtained by contacting S. Mattke, RAND Corp, Boston, MA 02116, United States. Additional authors for this research include A. Wilks and S. Mattke.

Keywords for this news article include: Boston, Massachusetts, United States, North and Central America, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Diabetes, Diagnostics and Screening, Heart Disorders and Diseases, Lung Diseases and Conditions, Atrial Fibrillation, Cardiac Arrhythmias, Health Policy, Heart Disease, Medicare, RAND.

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