House calls from health care workers can help reduce costly admissions to the hospital or nursing home, according to a new report.
The study published Monday in the journal Health Affairs looked at the effectiveness of a UnitedHealth Group program for Medicare beneficiaries and found that people who used it had up to 14 percent fewer hospital admissions compared with other Medicare patients.
Participants in the program also were more likely to visit the doctor's office, according to research that was funded by the Minnetonka-based health insurer.
"We found that a home visiting program can lead to meaningful cuts in the amount of inpatient care used by Medicare patients," said Soeren Mattke, the study's lead author with California-based RAND Corp., in a statement. "This is significant since many other strategies to reduce inpatient care among Medicare recipients generally have been unsuccessful."
The HouseCalls program has become a regular talking point for UnitedHealth Group officials when describing how the company's Optum division is trying to improve care while making it more efficient.
UnitedHealth Group is the nation's largest health insurer. During an investors conference earlier this month, company officials said HouseCalls will deliver more than 1.1 million visits to patient homes next year.
"Our nurse practitioners, armed with secure smart tablets instead of black leather bags, help patients follow prescribed treatment plans, make annual visits to their physicians and get appropriate vaccinations," said Larry Renfro, the Optum chief executive, during the conference in New York.
The home visits are provided annually. They typically last 45 to 60 minutes and include an evaluation of current and past health problems, a review of medications, a physical exam and certain assessments. The house call generates a written care plan that's shared with the patient's regular doctor, and can generate referrals too other providers for services.