scholarly journals Health service use in the older person with complex health needs

2019 ◽  
Vol 43 (1) ◽  
pp. 62 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Bartlett ◽  
Joanna Wang ◽  
Liz Hay ◽  
Glen Pang
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Older People ◽  
Integrated Care ◽  
Service Use ◽  
Comparison Group ◽  
Health Needs ◽  
Care Policy ◽  
Complex Needs ◽  
Policy And Strategy

Objective Effective health care for older people with complex health needs requires a diverse range of healthcare professionals working together. The Building Partnerships Framework of the New South Wales Agency for Clinical Innovation seeks to promote collaboration and integration among service providers. The aim of the present study was to inform implementation and evaluation of the Framework. Methods Data from the 45 and Up Study was linked with deaths and service data from hospitalisations and the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS). Participants with a hospitalisation for conditions representing ‘geriatric syndrome’ were allocated to a complex needs group; the remainder were allocated to a comparison group. Hospital admissions and MBS services use were modelled using log-linear Poisson regression. Results Multivariate analysis showed that the rate of hospitalisation in the 2 years following index admission for the complex needs group was 18% (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.12–1.24) greater than the comparison group and specialist physician attendance was 13% (95% CI 1.06 – 1.21) greater. The rate of general practitioner (GP) attendances was 2% (95% CI 0.97–1.07) greater in the complex needs group, but this was not statistically significant. Discussion The greater rates of hospitalisation and specialist service use, the absence of a similar finding for GP services and the prominence of the role of primary care in service integration literature, policy and strategy underscore the importance of careful planning, consultation and inclusiveness in the development and implementation of integrated care policy. What is known about the topic? Older people with complex health needs are significant consumers of primary and secondary health services and benefit from well-planned and coordinated care. What does this paper add? The findings presented here indicate that although hospitals and specialist physicians provide a significantly greater volume of services to people with complex health needs, GPs do not. Within the limitations of the present study, these findings can contribute to integrated care policy and strategy development and implementation. What are the implications for practitioners? Given the prominence of primary care in service integration literature, policy and strategy and the findings of the present study with regard to the relative level of GP involvement in the management of people with complex needs, careful policy implementation will be required to ensure GPs are able to contribute significantly to coordinated cooperation between health services.

A Typology of Caregiving Situations and Service Use in Family Carers of Older People in Six European Countries

GeroPsych ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mirko Di Rosa ◽  
Christopher Kofahl ◽  
Kevin McKee ◽  
Barbara Bień ◽  
Giovanni Lamura ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Services ◽  
Older People ◽  
Support Services ◽  
Family Caregiving ◽  
Service Use ◽  
European Countries ◽  
Limited Resources ◽  
Family Carers ◽  
Policy Initiatives ◽  
Typology Of Care

This paper presents the EUROFAMCARE study findings, examining a typology of care situations for family carers of older people, and the interplay of carers with social and health services. Despite the complexity of family caregiving situations across Europe, our analyses determined the existence of seven “caregiving situations,” varying on a range of critical indicators. Our study also describes the availability and use of different support services for carers and care receivers, and carers’ preferences for the characteristics of support services. Our findings have relevance for policy initiatives in Europe, where limited resources need to be more equitably distributed and services should be targeted to caregiving situations reflecting the greatest need, and organized to reflect the preferences of family carers.

scholarly journals Digital Innovations for Aged Care: Impacts in the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alan Taylor ◽  
Jennifer Tieman ◽  
Anthony Maeder
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Older People ◽  
Acute Care ◽  
Digital Technology ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
Aged Care ◽  
Care Provision ◽  
Remote Interaction ◽  
Healthcare Interventions

This paper describes the extent to which remote interaction healthcare interventions supported by digital technology are currently being used, or have recently been newly developed for use, in the care of older people in Australia within the context of the existing Australian aged care system and in conjunction with the COVID-19 pandemic. We place emphasis on those interventions associated with primary care provision, and associated healthcare services such as allied health, rather than outreach from jurisdictional health services and acute care. The primary purpose of this study was to gain an indication of the extent and range of such interventions, and provide a pragmatic commentary on their usage. This has enabled the understanding of some characteristics for success, and drivers for rapid adoption of further digital technology interventions, in the aged care sector.

scholarly journals Understanding health and care expenditure by setting – who matters to whom?

2020 ◽  
pp. 135581962093672
Author(s):  
Jenny Shand ◽  
Stephen Morris ◽  
Manuel Gomes
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Primary Care ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Hospital Care ◽  
Service Use ◽  
Community Care ◽  
Mental Health Service Use ◽  
Total Expenditure ◽  
System Perspective

Objective To assess service use and associated expenditure across a range of care settings in one local authority in London, United Kingdom. Methods An analysis of linked electronic health and council records of adults living in the borough of Barking and Dagenham, east London, for the financial year 2016/17. Unit costs were applied to individual service use to provide expenditure at an individual and population level for five settings of care. Population and expenditure volumes were compared for 32 possible combinations of service use. Results The total expenditure for the cohort (114,393 residents) for 2016/17 was £180.1 million. Almost half (47%) of total expenditure was incurred by community care, social care and mental health services, with hospital care and primary care incurring, respectively, 35% (£63.3 m) and 18% (£32.6 m). The two most common combinations in terms of total population volume and expenditure were primary and hospital care, and primary, hospital and community care. Primary care was present in all combinations. Mental health service use accounted for just over a tenth of all expenditure in the borough, but using mental health services substantially increased mean expenditure per patient. Conclusions A whole system perspective across all settings of care improves understanding of service user patterns. Setting-level analysis remains important, particularly for mental health users.

Why care about integrated care? Part 2. Integrated care systems: an irresistible force changing mental health services

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Derek K. Tracy ◽  
Frank Holloway ◽  
Kara Hanson ◽  
Nikita Kanani ◽  
Matthew Trainer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Primary Care ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Integrated Care ◽  
Healthcare Delivery ◽  
Local Implementation ◽  
The Past ◽  
Care Systems

SUMMARY Part 1 of this three-part series on integrated care discussed the drivers for change in healthcare delivery in England set out in the NHS Long Term Plan. This second part explores the evolution of mental health services within the wider National Health Service (NHS), and describes important relevant legislation and policy over the past decade, leading up to the 2019 Long Term Plan. We explain the implications of this, including the detail of emerging structures such as integrated care systems (ICSs) and primary care networks (PCNs), and conclude with challenges facing these novel systems. Part 3 will address the practical local implementation of integrated care.

The Consequences of Universalizing Health Services: Children's Use of Health Services in Catalonia

1998 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 777-791 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luis Rajmil ◽  
Barbara Starfield ◽  
Antoni Plasència ◽  
Andreu Segura
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Multiple Regression ◽  
Universal Access ◽  
Health Needs ◽  
Regression Equations ◽  
Access To Health Services ◽  
Socioeconomic Characteristics ◽  
Number Of Visits ◽  
Use Of Health Services

The purpose of this study was to assess the role of needs and social factors in the use of health services among children under age 15 in Catalonia, Spain, where health care reform was explicitly designed to facilitate universal access to primary care according to health needs. Data from the Catalan Health Interview Survey of 1994, a multistage probability sample (2,433 children under 15 years old), were analyzed. Multiple regression examined the relationship between health needs and number of visits in the last year, controlling for the effect of sociodemographic characteristics. Two logistic regression equations were selected to predict heavy (more than seven visits per year) and light (less than two visits) utilization of services. The multiple regression model explained 14.3 percent of the variance in number of visits, with health status perception, disability, reported chronic condition, restriction of activities, and having had a recent accident by far the most important determinants. No familial socioeconomic characteristics, including social class, education, or family size, influenced the extent of use. In contrast to health systems not designed to achieve either universal access according to need or strong primary care, universal access to health services in Catalonia appears to enhance the use of services among children with health needs, regardless of socioeconomic characteristics.

scholarly journals Establishing and implementing best practice to reduce unplanned admissions in those aged 85 years and over through system change [Establishing System Change for Admissions of People 85+ (ESCAPE 85+)]: a mixed-methods case study approach

2015 ◽  
Vol 3 (37) ◽  
pp. 1-202 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Wilson ◽  
Richard Baker ◽  
John Bankart ◽  
Jay Banerjee ◽  
Ran Bhamra ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Older People ◽  
Emergency Departments ◽  
System Change ◽  
System Level ◽  
Striking Difference ◽  
Admission Rates ◽  
The Impact

BackgroundIn England, between 2007/8 and 2009/10, the rate of unplanned hospital admissions of people aged 85 years and above rose from 48 to 52 per 100. There was substantial variation, with some areas showing a much faster rate of increase and others showing a decline.ObjectivesTo identify system characteristics associated with higher and lower increases in unplanned admission rates in those aged 85 years and over; to develop recommendations to inform providers and commissioners; and to investigate the challenges of starting to implement these recommendations.DesignMixed-methods study using routinely collected data, in-depth interviews and focus groups. Data were analysed using the framework approach, with themes following McKinsey’s 7S model. Recommendations derived from our findings were refined and prioritised through respondent validation and consultation with the project steering group. The process of beginning to implement these recommendations was examined in one ‘implementation site’.ParticipantsSix study sites were selected based on admission data for patients aged 85 years and above from primary care trusts: three where rates of increase were among the most rapid and three where they had slowed down or declined. Each ‘improving’ or ‘deteriorating’ site comprised an acute hospital trust, its linked primary care trust/clinical commissioning group, the provider of community health services, and adult social care. At each site, representatives from these organisations at strategic and operational levels, as well as representatives of patient groups, were interviewed to understand how policies had been developed and implemented. A total of 142 respondents were interviewed.ResultsBetween 2007/8 and 2009/10, average admission rates for people aged 85 years and over rose by 5.5% annually in deteriorating sites and fell by 1% annually in improving sites. During the period under examination, the population aged 85 years and over in deteriorating sites increased by 3.4%, compared with 1.3% in improving sites. In deteriorating sites, there were problems with general practitioner access, pressures on emergency departments and a lack of community-based alternatives to admission. However, the most striking difference between improving and deteriorating sites was not the presence or absence of specific services, but the extent to which integration within and between types of service had been achieved. There were also overwhelming differences in leadership, culture and strategic development at the system level. The final list of recommendations emphasises the importance of issues such as maximising integration of services, strategic leadership and adopting a system-wide approach to reconfiguration.ConclusionsRising admission rates for older people were seen in places where several parts of the system were under strain. Places which had stemmed the rising tide of admissions had done so through strong, stable leadership, a shared vision and strategy, and common values across the system.Future workResearch on individual components of care for older people needs to take account of their impact on the system as a whole. Areas where more evidence is needed include the impact of improving access and continuity in primary care, the optimal capacity for intermediate care and how the frail elderly can best be managed in emergency departments.Study registrationUK Clinical Reasearch Network 12960.Funding detailsThe National Institute for Health Research Health Services and Delivery Research programme.

scholarly journals OPEN ARCH: integrated care at the primary–secondary interface for the community-dwelling older person with complex needs

2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 104
Author(s):  
Jennifer Mann ◽  
Rachel Quigley ◽  
Desley Harvey ◽  
Megan Tait ◽  
Gillian Williams ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Integrated Care ◽  
Older Persons ◽  
Healthcare Delivery ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Ageing Population ◽  
Preventative Care ◽  
Older Person ◽  
Complex Needs ◽  
Open Arch

Optimal care of community-dwelling older Australians with complex needs is a national imperative. Suboptimal care that is reactive, episodic and fragmented, is costly to the health system, can be life threatening to the older person and produces unsustainable carer demands. Health outcomes would be improved if services (health and social) are aligned towards community-based, comprehensive and preventative care. Integrated care is person-focussed in outlook and defies a condition-centric approach to healthcare delivery. Integration is a means to support primary care, with the volume and complexity of patient needs arising from an ageing population. Older Persons Enablement and Rehabilitation for Complex Health Conditions (OPEN ARCH) is a targeted model of care that improves access to specialist assessment and comprehensive care for older persons at risk of functional decline, hospitalisation or institutionalised care. OPEN ARCH was developed with primary care as the central integrating function and is built on four values of quality care: preventative health care provided closer to home; alignment of specialist and generalist care; care coordination and enablement; and primary care capacity building. Through vertical integration at the primary–secondary interface, OPEN ARCH cannot only improve the quality of care for clients, but improves the capacity of primary care to meet the needs of this population.

scholarly journals Care transition types across acute, sub-acute and primary care

2018 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 189-198 ◽  
Author(s):  
Desley Harvey ◽  
Michele Foster ◽  
Rachel Quigley ◽  
Edward Strivens
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Older People ◽  
Service Use ◽  
Care Transitions ◽  
Care Transition ◽  
Longitudinal Case Study ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Systemic Factors

PurposeThe purpose of the paper is to examine the care transitions of older people who transfer between home, acute and sub-acute care to determine if there were common transition types and areas for improvements.Design/methodology/approachA longitudinal case study design was used to examine care transitions of 19 older people and their carers as a series of transitions and a whole-of-system experience. Case study accounts synthesising semi-structured interviews with function and service use data from medical records were compared.FindingsThree types of care transitions were derived from the analysis: manageable, unstable and disrupted. Each type had distinguishing characteristics and older people could experience elements of all types across the system. Transition types varied according to personal and systemic factors.Originality/valueThis study identifies types of care transition experiences across acute, sub-acute and primary care from the perspective of older people and their carers. Understanding transition types and their features can assist health professionals to better target strategies within and across the system and improve patient experiences as a whole.

scholarly journals Evaluating integrated care for people with complex needs

2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 46-53
Author(s):  
Panagiotis Kasteridis ◽  
Anne Mason ◽  
Andrew Street
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Integrated Care ◽  
Models Of Care ◽  
Care Team ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Complex Care ◽  
Care Needs ◽  
Complex Needs ◽  
Care Models ◽  
Integrated Care Models

Objectives As part of the Vanguard programme, two integrated care models were introduced in South Somerset for people with complex care needs: the Complex Care Team and Enhanced Primary Care. We assessed their impact on a range of utilization measures and mortality. Methods We used monthly individual-level linked primary and secondary care data from April 2014 to March 2018 to assess outcomes before and after the introduction of the care models. The analysis sample included 564 Complex Care Team and 841 Enhanced Primary Care cases that met specific criteria. We employed propensity score methods to identify out-of-area control patients and difference-in-differences analysis to isolate the care models’ impact. Results We found no evidence of significantly reduced utilization in any of the Complex Care Team or Enhanced Primary Care cohorts. The death rate was significantly lower only for those in the first Enhanced Primary Care cohort. Conclusions The integrated care models did not significantly reduce utilization nor consistently reduce mortality. Future research should test longer-term outcomes associated with the new models of care and quantify their contribution in the context of broader initiatives.

scholarly journals Strategic implementation planning for integrated behavioral health services in pediatric primary care

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
pp. 263348952098755
Author(s):  
Jennifer A Mautone ◽  
Courtney Benjamin Wolk ◽  
Zuleyha Cidav ◽  
Molly F Davis ◽  
Jami F Young
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Behavioral Health ◽  
Integrated Care ◽  
Care Program ◽  
Logic Model ◽  
Pediatric Primary Care ◽  
Behavioral Health Services ◽  
Integrated Behavioral Health ◽  
Strategic Implementation

Background: Delivering physical and behavioral health services in a single setting is associated with improved quality of care and reduced health care costs. Few health systems implementing integrated care develop conceptual models and targeted measurement strategies a priori with an eye toward adoption, implementation, sustainment, and evaluation. This is a broad challenge in the field, which can make it difficult to disentangle why implementation is or is not successful. Method: This article discusses strategic implementation and evaluation planning for a pediatric integrated care program in a large health system. Our team developed a logic model, which defines resources and community characteristics, program components, evaluation activities, short-term activities, and intermediate and anticipated long-term patient-, clinician-, and practice-related outcomes. The model was designed based on research and stakeholder input to support strategic implementation and evaluation of the program. For each aspect of the logic model, a measurement battery was selected. Initial implementation data and intermediate outcomes from a pilot in five practices in a 30-practice pediatric primary care network are presented to illustrate how the logic model and evaluation plan have been used to guide the iterative process of program development. Results: A total of 4,619 office visits were completed during the 2 years of the pilot. Primary care clinicians were highly satisfied with the integrated primary care program and provided feedback on ways to further improve the program. Members of the primary care team and behavioral health providers rated the program as being relatively well integrated into the practices after the second year of the pilot. Conclusion: This logic model and evaluation plan provide a template for future projects integrating behavioral health services in non-specialty mental health settings, including pediatric primary care, and can be used broadly to provide structure to implementation and evaluation activities and promote replication of effective initiatives. Plain language abstract: Up to 1 in 5 youth have difficulties with mental health; however, the majority of these youth do not receive the care they need. Many youth seek support from their primary care clinicians. Pediatric primary care practices have increasingly integrated behavioral health clinicians into the care team to improve access to services and encourage high-quality team-based care. Definitions of “behavioral health integration” vary across disciplines and organizations, and little is known about how integrated behavioral health care is actually implemented in most pediatric settings. In addition, program evaluation activities have not included a thorough examination of long-term outcomes. This article provides detailed information on the implementation planning and evaluation activities for an integrated behavioral health program in pediatric primary care. This work has been guided by a logic model, an important implementation science tool to guide the development and evaluation of new programs and promote replication. The logic model and measurement plan we developed provides a guide for policy makers, researchers, and clinicians seeking to develop and evaluate similar programs in other systems and community settings. This work will enable greater adoption, implementation, and sustainment of integrated care models and increase access to high-quality care.

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