Field Study Funded on Adding Social Workers to Seniors' Primary Care to Improve Health, Reduce Physician Visits and Hospitalization
FIELD STUDY FUNDED ON ADDING SOCIAL WORKERS
TO SENIORS’ PRIMARY CARE TO IMPROVE HEALTH,
REDUCE PHYSICIAN VISITS AND HOSPITALIZATION
As Chronic Conditions Increase and Number of Health Care Professionals
Dwindle, Benefit of Social Workers Examined to Improve Primary Care for Frail,
Older Adults.
A two year, $500,000 study on the effectiveness of a structured social work intervention in the primary care clinic for frail, older adults with chronic conditions has been funded by Atlantic Philanthropies to Boston University to be conducted by Kaiser Permanente Long Beach Clinic and Partners in Care Foundation (www.picf.org), a non-profit organization that develops new models of care, especially among the elderly and vulnerable populations. The Institute for Change/Research Center of Partners in Care will oversee the study.
Currently, there is little or no psychosocial support provided in primary care clinics. To address that issue, the pilot program is putting previous research1,2 into practice among these senior patients to demonstrate that, by placing geriatric social workers in the primary care team, seniors’ health improves and unnecessary hospitalizations are reduced. The study sets up a model of care to identify problems early and help patients gain greater control and thus improve their mental and physical outlook. “Social workers can bring valuable added resources, such as training in problem-solving skills, care coordination, and patient education on medical conditions and self-management techniques that help seniors remain independent and live better at home which lifts their overall health and functioning,” explains W. June Simmons, President and CEO of Partners in Care and Project Director. “These non-acute services are medicine too.” Chronically ill seniors experiencing difficulty in managing their health conditions will be identified for the intervention by the social worker care manager of the medical team. “Previous research has demonstrated the effectiveness of problem-solving interventions among older adults,” notes Susan Enguidanos, Ph.D., MPH, and Research Director of The Institute for Change/Research Center. “These skills have been found to help aid the senior in managing the day to day life and problems which results in a reduction of acute care service use and an improvement in patient satisfaction with health care services.”
The seniors in the program are assisted with education and intensive problem-solving therapy to increase their ability to cope with daily living and self-care as well as with what other supportive services they might need. Care managers will coordinate care with the patients’ primary care team so that both the medical team and the patients are more satisfied with care given and received.
“Healthcare is just beginning to grapple with the effects of chronic conditions in an aging population,” explains Ms. Simmons. “Early, upstream intervention such as this one helps avoid needless suffering and provides a wiser use of healthcare resources, a solution which Partners advocates.”
Partners in Care/Kaiser Permanente were selected as the only site for the Primary Care Intervention study by the Institute for Geriatric Social Work (IGSW) which supports and conducts research to demonstrate the effectiveness of social work interventions designed to improve the quality of lives of older people. Scott Miyake Geron, Ph.D. and IGSW's Director, is the Principal Investigator of the study. The study began participant enrollment in August, 2004.
For more information, contact June Simmons at 818. 837.3775, ext. 101; email
About Partners in Care Foundation
Partners in Care changes the shape of healthcare and social services so they work better for everyone. Partners is unique in two ways: we are both a think-tank and a proving ground. Partners develops high-impact, innovative ways of bringing more efficient health and social services to people and communities. Our direct services measure, refine, and replicate the innovative programs and services and bring needed care to diverse people and communities.
About the Institute for Change/Research Center
To help effect change in healthcare, Partners' Institute for Change provides a broad range of professional expertise and skills to funders and organizations to design, develop, manage, and evaluate health and social service research. The research projects we conduct have the potential for high impact in improving health and social systems while increasing quality, efficiency, effectiveness, and access.
Research
1. Enguidanos, S., & Gibbs, N. (2001). Geriatric Case Management: “An Opportunity for Improved Depression Detection and Treatment. Care Management, 7 (5): 18-23.
2. Unutzer, J., Patrick, D., Simon, G., Grembowski, D., Walker, E., Rutter, C., & Katon, W. (1997). Depressive Symptoms and the Cost of Health Services in HMO Patients Aged 65 Years and Older: a 4-Year Prospective Study. The Journal of the American Medical Association, 277(20), 1618-1623
Partners in Care Foundation 818. 837.3775 email
