Centering Racial and Ethnic Equity in Health Care Throughout Spatial Data Analysis

BackgroundThe ongoing COVID-19 pandemic as well as a host of social movements have put a nation-sized spotlight on structural inequality and racial disparities in health throughout America. As health care systems begin to advance health equity by holding plans and payers accounting for racial and socioeconomic disparities in care, quantitative methods are needed that emphasize the distinct linkages between physical locations and racially disparate outcomes.MethodsWe apply a counterfactual model to compare differences in avoidable and potentially avoidable emergency department (ED) admissions among a panel of 8,924 non-Hispanic White, Black, and Hispanic Medicaid participants between 2016 - 2018. The magnitude of disparity estimates is examined in relation to geographic proximity to health care providers, neighborhood socioeconomic contexts, as well as the type of primary care delivery model individuals received. The adjusted rates were assessed by generalized estimating equations (GEE) and average marginal effects models to contrast differences in probability of events in association with race/ethnicity, proximity to care, and treatment through patient-centered medical homes (PCMH). ResultsAttending a patient-centered medical home was associated with a 3.4 percentage point (p <0.001) decrease in Black-White racial disparity and a 1.8 percentage point (p < 0.10) reduction in the overall Black-White disparity for potentially avoidable ED admissions. PCMH attendance was attributed to a 2.6 percentage point (p < 0.10) reduction in Hispanic-White disparities in potentially avoidable admissions, but this difference was not substantial enough to curb the overall Hispanic-White racial disparity in ED admissions. No statistically significant reductions in Black-White or Hispanic-White disparities in avoidable ED admissions were observed. ConclusionMedical homes may be able to curb, but not necessarily eliminate, racial disparities in ED admissions. Counterfactual models of health disparities are in line with recent transitions toward evaluating patient- and value-centered health care reform changes as they are designed to measure health and racial equity. This strategy, or variations of it, are adaptable to other investigations where emphasis on physical locations is considered essential to understanding racial disparities in health outcomes.

QUiC Clinics in the Central Texas Market: Value-Based Primary Care in Military Medicine

ABSTRACT Introduction For the past 16 years, Military Health System primary care providers have been incentivized to pursue work in a fee-for-service (FFS) model. The system values documentation of productivity to earn as many relative value units as possible. The result is densely packed clinic schedules that often lack the space or flexibility to accommodate patients when sick. Leakage ensues. Furthermore, prevention and patient experience are not directly incentivized. Methods The Central Texas Market’s Accountable Care Organization reformed incentives in its #5 FFS-designed community-based medical homes to value outcomes over productivity. The resulting quality, urgent, internet, and phone care (QUiC) clinics are value-based and, therefore, better structured to achieve the Quad aim (better care, better health/readiness, and low cost). Forsaking deeply ingrained FFS practices, QUiC clinics funnel all routine (information-sharing) appointments into efficient internet or phone appointments. With the time freed by managing common needs in short bursts, QUiC clinics see sick patients with no notice (urgent care). They also focus on prevention and patient experience. We measured the effectiveness of the QUiC clinics in the value-based metrics of (1) patient experience, (2) Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set measures of quality and prevention. (3) access-to-care, (4) leakage, and (5) enrollment. Results Over a 19 month period, the five community-based medical homes improved significantly in all areas. Specifically, measures of patient satisfaction improved from the mid-80s percent satisfied to the mid-90s percent satisfied. Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set measures increased from average compared to national benchmarks (&lt;50th percentile to 75th percentile) to the 90th percentile in four of five measures of quality and the 75th percentile in the remaining measure. Access to care for routine appointments decreased from 15.4 days to the third next available appointment to 2.8 days. Leakage decreased from 12.2% to 9.6%. These successes were attained without cost or significant reductions in patient enrollments. In changing workflows, the market became the #1 user of virtual video visits in the DOD. Conclusions This performance improvement project proved the concept that a military market can vastly improve value-based primary care outcomes at no cost and within multiple community-based clinics.

How Patient-Centered Medical Homes Integrate Dental Services Into Primary Care: A Scoping Review

Integrated care delivery is at the core of patient-centered medical homes (PCMHs). The extent of integration of dental services in PCMHs for adults is largely unknown. We first identified dental–medical integrating processes from the literature and then conducted a scoping review using PRISMA guidelines to evaluate their implementation among PCMHs. Processes were categorized into workforce, information-sharing, evidence-based care, and measuring and monitoring. After screening, 16 articles describing 21 PCMHs fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Overall, the implementation of integrating processes was limited. Less than half of the PCMHs reported processes for information exchange across medical and dental teams, referral tracking, and standardized protocols for oral health assessments by medical providers. Results highlight significant gaps in current implementation of adult dental integration in PCMHs, despite an increasing policy-level recognition of and support for dental-medical integration in primary care. Understanding and addressing associated barriers is important to achieve comprehensive patient-centered primary care.

The Missed Opportunity of Patient-Centered Medical Homes to Thrive in an Asian Context

In recent years, there is growing interest internationally to implement patient-centered medical homes (PCMHs), and Singapore is no exception. However, studies understanding the influence of contextual policy factors on the implementation of PCMHs are limited. We conducted 10 semi-structured in-depth interviews with general practitioners working in seven out of the nine PCMHs. Audio recordings were transcribed and analyzed by two study team members in NVivo 12 Software using grounded theory techniques. Power dynamics between the stakeholders and lack of shared decision-making among them in selecting the locale of the PCMH and formulating the practice fee and pharmacy structure were the key factors which negatively affected the implementation of PCMHs on a larger scale. Over time, lack of funding to hire dedicated staff to transfer patients and misalignment of various stakeholders’ interest to other right-siting programs also resulted in low number of patients with chronic conditions and revenue. Countries seeking to implement a successful PCMH may benefit from building trust and relationship between stakeholders, engaging in shared decision-making, ongoing cost-efficiency efforts, and formulating a clear delineation of responsibilities between stakeholders. For a healthcare delivery model to succeed in the primary care landscape, policies should be developed keeping mind the realities of primary care practice.