Evaluation of a Community Health Worker (CHW)-Led Program

University of Michigan

Status: Completed

Conditions: High Health Care-utilizing Medicaid Beneficiaries

Treatments: Behavioral: Supportive services

Study type: Observational

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03924713

HUM00136277

Details and patient eligibility

About

The investigators are comparing health care utilization claims data of Medicaid beneficiaries who participated in a CHW program led by three Medicaid health plans' salaried CHWs in the Cody Rouge neighborhood of Detroit, Michigan with eligible beneficiaries who were not invited to participate in the program but received usual health plan services.

Full description

This program evaluation examines the effectiveness, barriers and facilitators of implementing a geographically targeted program led by salaried CHWs from three Medicaid health plans in collaboration with the Detroit Health Department and Joy Southfield Community Development Corporation. Beneficiaries who reside in the Cody Rouge neighborhood and had more than 3 Emergency Department (ED) visits or at least 1 ambulatory care-sensitive hospitalization in the prior 12 months are randomized to the CHW program or to usual outreach from the health plans. CHWs reach out to eligible beneficiaries to provide a comprehensive assessment of health, behavioral, and social needs; link them to needed resources; and provide necessary follow-up. At 12- month follow up, health plan claims data on ED visits, ambulatory care-sensitive hospitalizations, primary care visits and all related costs will be compared between participants who participated in this program compared with other participants who would have been eligible but were not offered the program (with no effort to contact them).

The investigators hypothesize that patients enrolled in the CHW intervention will experience a reduction in acute care usage resulting in cost savings compared to those receiving usual health plan CHW outreach. This study is among the first to evaluate the impact on health care utilization of augmented services delivered by health plan CHWs for high-utilizing health plan members. This study will provide important information on the sustainability of future health plan CHW programs and provide insights into effective implementation of such programs.

Enrollment: 198 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Either have had more than 3 ED visits in the prior 12 months, or at least 1 ambulatory care-sensitive hospitalization in the prior 12 months

Exclusion criteria

• None if they meet above criteria.

Trial design

198 participants in 2 patient groups

Community Health Worker

Description:

1. initial comprehensive health, behavioral, and social needs assessment; 2. development of an individualized 'action plan' to address identified needs; 3. linkage to necessary services and work with neighborhood-based health care and social services organization to address each individual's unique needs; and 4) provide follow-up support as needed.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Supportive services

Usual Health Plan Services

Description:

1) receipt of other plan services besides the CHW program for which they are eligible.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Supportive services