Pilot shows promise with super-utilizers
Success is seen in reductions of care costs and improved clinical outcomes
A program that combines a mobile app, analytics and direct intervention is showing promise in reducing the costs associated with hospitals' most expensive patients – the so-called "super-utilizers."
The Centerstone Research Institute, a Nashville-based not-for-profit focused on improving healthcare for those with mental health and addiction disorders, is partnering with mHealth vendor Ginger.io and Verizon to launch coactionHealth. The program is designed to help individuals with complex behavioral health disorders who generally rack up more than $25,000 a year in Medicaid expenses.
“Five percent of high-utilizer Medicaid beneficiaries represent more than half of the state Medicaid dollars spent each year,” Centerstone Research Institute CEO Tom Doub said in a press release. “These individuals typically have co-occurring mental and physical disorders that make managing their care difficult.”
The program makes use of mobile surveys, a high-intensity wellness coach available on-site or through mobile communications, a support team that includes consultants, nurses and licensed therapists, and a home mHealth package consisting of mobile phones, health data tracking apps and connectivity tools for communication with different members of the care team.
In a three-month pilot run between April and July of this year, officials said coactionHealth resulted in fewer hospitalizations and reduced patients' needs related to home mobility, personal care, nutrition and a safe living environment by some 55 percent.
As part of the program, Ginger.io, an MIT-launched start-up that develops smartphone-based mHealth tools, sent participants a daily mental well-being survey through an app on their smartphones. The survey enabled caregivers to identify abnormal behaviors, such as the presence of depression, social isolation or suicidal thoughts, and intervene when necessary. The platform also enabled the care team to chart each patient's behavioral trends over time.
Verizon healthcare specialist Leslie Baker added that "the fusion of healthcare with mobile technology" improves communication between patients and care teams, results in fewer patient visits, and reduces care costs, all while bolstering clinical outcomes.
The program specifically targets this with co-occurring mental and physical health needs, including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, personality disorders and chronic conditions like diabetes, heart disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder. Officials said an mHealth program that stresses constant support and coaching can help these individuals improve their sense of self-confidence.
“By integrating mobile solutions and data analytics into a coordinated care program,” said Doub in the press release, “CRI, Ginger.io and Verizon were able to not only reduce hospitalization costs, but create a positive mental and physical change for participants.”
This story is taken from a report appearing on mHealthNews.
