Loneliness and Health Outcomes in the High Need Population

Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Status: Completed

Conditions: Loneliness; Utilization, Health Care; Depression; Anxiety; Alcohol Use Disorder

Treatments: Behavioral: Shared Medical Visit

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT05484258

220958

Details and patient eligibility

About

The high need population are patients who have three or more chronic diseases and have a functional limitation in their ability to take care for themselves. Investigators aim to understand the effects of a support group intervention, with the use of group medical visits and understand longitudinal effects in emotional wellbeing and loneliness.

Full description

The high need population with functional limitations are patients who have three or more chronic diseases and have a functional limitation in their ability to care for themselves (such as bathing or dressing) or perform routine daily tasks. Two-thirds of the population is female, and three-quarters of them are white non-Hispanic and half of the population were described as low income. The High Need Population with functional limitations also utilizes the emergency department at twice the rate of adults with multiple chronic diseases and more than three times more likely to be hospitalized than adults of other populations.

Loneliness is seen as a significant independent risk factor for poor health behaviors, physical health problems and psychiatric conditions. Loneliness and isolation are becoming a more recognized entity that contributes to worsening depression.

Investigators aim to compare the of effects of a Social Worker and Physician/APP-led support group intervention on loneliness at 9 months, after up to 3 group visits.

Shared Medical Visits as a form of support Group increase clinician-patient contact time and provide patients with support and prevention of chronic conditions increasing patient empowerment.

Enrollment: 23 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

Patients who are enrolled into the VIC program. These are patients that are 18 years old and above, and have either

• HCC Score 3.0 and above
• HCC 2.0 - 3.0 and 2 or more unplanned admissions in last 12 months
• HCC 0.24 - 0.35 + ESRD OR
• Charlson Score >3, or LACE >30

Exclusion criteria

• None

Trial design

Primary purpose: Supportive Care

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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23 participants in 2 patient groups

Standard Care

No Intervention group

Description:

On baseline screen, would be screened for depression, alcohol use, and loneliness. Loneliness screen will be checked every 3 months.

Group Medical VIsits

Active Comparator group

Description:

For this arm, patients will have three visits of a shared medical visit, wherein a physician/APP will partner with a social worker to give a discussion about topics relevant to the high need population, including managing multiple medications, managing stress, and also palliative care.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Shared Medical Visit