Dive Brief:
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A new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association has concluded that community health workers foster access to primary care and improve outcomes after discharge among high-risk populations.
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Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania split 446 participants from two urban, academically affiliated hospitals into two groups, one supported by community health workers and a control group that was not.
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Researchers found that patients aided by community health workers were more likely to obtain post-hospital primary care and, moreover, to report high-quality discharge communication. The test group also showed greater improvements in mental health and patient activation.
Dive Insight:
The evidence continues to pile up that when hospitals and community organizations pour extra resources into patient discharges and post-hospital health, the results are good. However, at present, such interventions are mostly on a case-by-case basis, with few institutions routinely following up the way they should. It comes down to money: Who's going to fund a big expansion in the work done by community health workers? Ultimately, I believe the health plans will do so, but we're not there yet.