Kaiser Permanente community partners project: improving geriatric care management practices

Area of Science:

• Geriatric Medicine
• Healthcare Management
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Geriatric care management aims to improve health outcomes for older adults.
• Integrating purchase of service (POS) interventions may enhance care management effectiveness.
• Understanding implementation barriers is crucial for optimizing senior care programs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of geriatric care management plus a POS intervention on medical costs, care satisfaction, adherence, and quality of life.
• To assess the feasibility and challenges of implementing a POS intervention within a managed care setting.
• To identify participant characteristics associated with enrollment in geriatric care management.

Main Methods:

• Randomized controlled trial involving 451 Kaiser Permanente members aged 65+.
• Four study groups: information/referral, telephone care management, geriatric care management, and geriatric care management with POS.
• POS intervention provided up to $2,000 for services like in-home support, transportation, respite, or medical equipment.

Main Results:

• Participants in geriatric care management were more likely to be ethnic minorities and have lower incomes.
• Implementation barriers included establishing contracts, finding agencies, monitoring services, and delayed POS benefit utilization.
• The study describes the setup and initial challenges of the POS intervention, not its full impact on outcomes.

Conclusions:

• Geriatric care management programs may serve diverse senior populations, including ethnic minorities and lower-income individuals.
• Implementing purchase of service interventions requires careful planning to overcome contractual and logistical hurdles.
• Further research is needed to determine the ultimate impact of POS interventions on cost and quality of care for seniors.