Reports from University of Tennessee Describe Recent Advances in Managed Care (Community Navigators Reduce Hospital Utilization in Super-Utilizers)

By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Weekly News -- Fresh data on Managed Care are presented in a new report. According to news originating from Memphis, Tennessee, by VerticalNews correspondents, research stated, "Super-utilizers place a significant burden on the healthcare system. Blending the roles of patient navigators and community health workers may address the clinical and social needs of these patients."

Our news journalists obtained a quote from the research from the University of Tennessee, "This study evaluated the effectiveness of community navigators in reducing hospital utilization and costs among super-utilizers from a low-income area in Memphis, Tennessee. Controlled pre-post (difference-indifferences [DID]) design using Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare electronic health records from 2013 to 2016. Data were abstracted for 1 year pre-and post intervention for super-utilizers working with a community navigator (n = 159) and a control group of similar super-utilizers (n = 280). We compared utilization (hospital encounters, total hospital days, days between encounters, 30-day readmissions) and costs before and after working with a navigator for the intervention group with utilization and costs in a control group not working with a navigator and compared relative changes using a DID approach. Utilization and cost outcomes for intervention and control groups declined significantly from the pre-to postintervention periods. Relative to the control group, super-utilizers working with community navigators had an additional 13% reduction in hospital encounters (95% CI, -19% to -6%), 8% reduction in total hospital days (95% CI, -14% to -2%), and 9% increase in days between encounters (95% CI, 4%-15%). The intervention group also had additional reductions in 30-day readmissions (-18%; 95% CI, -44% to 22%) and costs (-$4903; 95% CI, -$13,579 to $3774), but these were not statistically significant. Community navigators can reduce subsequent hospital utilization in super-utilizers."

According to the news editors, the research concluded: "Expansions of this model should examine the model's effectiveness in other populations and outcomes."

For more information on this research see: Community Navigators Reduce Hospital Utilization in Super-Utilizers. American Journal of Managed Care, 2018;24(2):70-76,125-127. 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 correspondents report that additional information may be obtained from M.P. Thompson, University of Tennessee, Hlth Sci Center, Dept. of Prevent Med, Memphis, TN, United States. Additional authors for this research include P.S.B. Podila, C. Clay, J. Sharp, S. Bailey-DeLeeuw, A.J. Berkley, B.G. Baker and T.M. Waters.

Keywords for this news article include: Memphis, Tennessee, United States, North and Central America, Managed Care, Hospitals, University of Tennessee.

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