Care transitions intervention, a patient-centered coaching intervention, results in reduction of average cost of care among Medicare patients, according to a study published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.
Researchers analyzed fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries hospitalized from January 2009 to May 2011 in six Rhode Island hospitals. The care transitions intervention begins in the hospital through an education session and continues for 30 days, including one home visit and one to two phone calls.
The study found that the cost avoided per patient receiving the intervention was $3,752, compared to internal controls. The intervention group had significantly lower utilization in the six months after discharge and lower mean total healthcare costs.
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