Geriatric care management for low-income seniors: a randomized controlled trial.

CONTEXT: Low-income seniors frequently have multiple chronic medical conditions for which they often fail to receive the recommended standard of care. OBJECTIVES: To test the effectiveness of a geriatric care management model on improving the quality of care for low-income seniors in primary care. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PATIENTS: Controlled clinical trial of 951 adults 65 years or older with an annual income less than 200% of the federal poverty level, whose primary care physicians were randomized from January 2002 through August 2004 to participate in the intervention (474 patients) or usual care (477 patients) in community-based health centers. INTERVENTION: Patients received 2 years of home-based care management by a nurse practitioner and social worker who collaborated with the primary care physician and a geriatrics interdisciplinary team and were guided by 12 care protocols for common geriatric conditions. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The Medical Outcomes 36-Item Short-Form (SF-36) scales and summary measures; instrumental and basic activities of daily living (ADLs); and emergency department (ED) visits not resulting in hospitalization and hospitalizations. RESULTS: Intention-to-treat analysis revealed significant improvements for intervention patients compared with usual care at 24 months in 4 of 8 SF-36 scales: general health (0.2 vs -2.3, P = .045), vitality (2.6 vs -2.6, P < .001), social functioning (3.0 vs -2.3, P = .008), and mental health (3.6 vs -0.3, P = .001); and in the Mental Component Summary (2.1 vs -0.3, P < .001). No group differences were found for ADLs or death. The cumulative 2-year ED visit rate per 1000 was lower in the intervention group (1445 [n = 474] vs 1748 [n = 477], P = .03) but hospital admission rates per 1000 were not significantly different between groups (700 [n = 474] vs 740 [n = 477], P = .66). In a predefined group at high risk of hospitalization (comprising 112 intervention and 114 usual-care patients), ED visit and hospital admission rates were lower for intervention patients in the second year (848 [n = 106] vs 1314 [n = 105]; P = .03 and 396 [n = 106] vs 705 [n = 105]; P = .03, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Integrated and home-based geriatric care management resulted in improved quality of care and reduced acute care utilization among a high-risk group. Improvements in health-related quality of life were mixed and physical function outcomes did not differ between groups. Future studies are needed to determine whether more specific targeting will improve the program's effectiveness and whether reductions in acute care utilization will offset program costs. TRIAL REGISTRATION: clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00182962.

Geriatric Resources for Assessment and Care of Elders (GRACE): a new model of primary care for low-income seniors.

The majority of older adults receive health care in primary care settings, yet many fail to receive the recommended standard of care for preventive services, chronic disease management, and geriatric syndromes. The Geriatric Resources for Assessment and Care of Elders (GRACE) model of primary care for low-income seniors and their primary care physicians (PCPs) was developed to improve the quality of geriatric care so as to optimize health and functional status, decrease excess healthcare use, and prevent long-term nursing home placement. The catalyst for the GRACE intervention is the GRACE support team, consisting of a nurse practitioner and a social worker. Upon enrollment, the GRACE support team meets with the patient in the home to conduct an initial comprehensive geriatric assessment. The support team then meets with the larger GRACE interdisciplinary team (including a geriatrician, pharmacist, physical therapist, mental health social worker, and community-based services liaison) to develop an individualized care plan including activation of GRACE protocols for evaluating and managing common geriatric conditions. The GRACE support team then meets with the patient's PCP to discuss and modify the plan. Collaborating with the PCP, and consistent with the patient's goals, the support team then implements the plan. With the support of an electronic medical record and longitudinal tracking system, the GRACE support team provides ongoing care management and coordination of care across multiple geriatric syndromes, providers, and sites of care. The effectiveness of the GRACE intervention is being evaluated in a randomized, controlled trial.