New Findings from UPMC Center for High-Value Health Care in the Area of Managed Care Reported (Integrated care for chronic conditions: a randomized care management trial): Managed Care

2026 MAR 27 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- Fresh data on Managed Care are presented in a new report. According to news reporting originating from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, by NewsRx correspondents, research stated, “Health care systems employ community-based solutions to help individuals manage multiple chronic conditions (MCC). Little knowledge exists on how to optimally translate evidence-based integrated care management models into widespread improvements in patient-centered outcomes.”

Our news editors obtained a quote from the research from UPMC Center for High-Value Health Care, “This study aimed to compare effectiveness and differential impact of 3 integrated care management delivery methods. Individual, stratified randomized trial with a 2:2:1 ratio for high-touch (in person), high-tech (remote monitoring), and optimal discharge planning (ODP; telephonic) delivery methods with 12-month follow-up. The UPMC Health Plan provided care management to adult Medicaid and Medicare-Medicaid beneficiaries with MCC who were recently discharged from an inpatient hospitalization. Primary (90-day readmission, health status, patient activation) and secondary (30-day readmission; functional status; quality of life; care satisfaction; emergent care use; engagement in primary, specialty, and mental health care; gaps in care) outcomes were assessed. The analytic sample (n = 1387) included Medicaid (79.5%) or dually eligible (20.5%) beneficiaries with MCC (63.0% female, 73.0% White, and 21.6% Black). We found no evidence of a treatment effect on 90-day readmission rates (P = .669). There was a significant improvement over time for health status (P < .0001) but no significant difference by intervention (P = .866). Patient activation showed a significant time-by-treatment interaction (P = .021), with a significant difference (from baseline to 12 months) for the high-touch approach compared with ODP (adjusted difference of 2.69 points; SE = 1.22; P = .028). Participant subgroups (race, age, illness complexity, and comorbid behavioral health conditions) showed no statistically significant differences by interventions or over time on the primary outcomes.”

According to the news editors, the research concluded: “Results demonstrate how health care systems can leverage a variety of impactful, person-centered care management approaches without compromising patient outcomes.”

This research has been peer-reviewed.

For more information on this research see: Integrated care for chronic conditions: a randomized care management trial. The American Journal of Managed Care, 2025. The American Journal of Managed Care can be contacted at: Managed Care & Healthcare Communications Llc, 666 Plainsboro Rd, Ste 300, Plainsboro, NJ 08536, USA.

The news editors report that additional information may be obtained by contacting Kelly Williams, UPMC Center for High-Value Health Care, US Steel Tower, 600 Grant St, 25th Floor, Pittsburgh, PA 15219. Additional authors for this research include Jane N. Kogan, Sarah Markwardt, Chaeryon Kang, Doug Landsittel, Ellen Beckjord, Jordan F. Karp and Dan Swayze.

Publisher contact information for the The American Journal of Managed Care is: Managed Care & Healthcare Communications Llc, 666 Plainsboro Rd, Ste 300, Plainsboro, NJ 08536, USA.

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