Care Transformation Center Blog
The insights, tools, and resources you need to take on population health management
by Abby Burns and Tomi Ogundimu April 18, 2019
In our first post highlighting how providers can reduce infant mortality, we noted that the infant mortality rate in the United States is 5.9 infant deaths per 1,000 births. But when we break it down by demographic groups, the rate for Black infants is nearly double that number at 11.4 deaths per 1,000 births, compared with 4.9 among non-Hispanic white infants. These racial disparities hold for pregnancy outcomes as well: The rate of preterm birth is 14% among Black women, compared with 9% among white women.
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by Rebecca Tyrrell and Colleen Keenan April 16, 2019
As of January 2019, 33 states and Washington, D.C. have legalized recreational or medical marijuana. However, marijuana is still illegal at the federal level and is classified as a Schedule I substance—meaning the federal government has ruled that it has a high potential for abuse and no currently accepted medical use in the United States.
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by Clare Wirth and Tomi Ogundimu April 11, 2019
Walmart recently opened a mental health clinic in one of their Texas stores. Patients can now walk in without an appointment and receive treatment for low-acuity needs (e.g., stress, grief). Walmart's motivation to get into the behavioral health care game likely stems from a desire to increase foot traffic in their brick and mortar stores. To do that, they’ve jumped on a key service gap: access to behavioral health services.
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by Darby Sullivan and Tomi Ogundimu April 4, 2019
Last month, Population Health Advisor members from the University of Pennsylvania joined us for a co-hosted webconference on how organizations can develop an evidence-based community health worker (CHW) program. As one listener remarked, "Wow—a CHW can transform a patient's life."
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by Darby Sullivan and Tomi Ogundimu March 21, 2019
We've reported widely on the creative ways provider organizations have been addressing social determinants of health. After our countless conversations with leaders in the field, we know there's no limit to ideas of how to address psychosocial needs. However, the health care industry isn't designed to make it easy or financially viable for organizations to make serious investments in this space.
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by Clare Wirth and Tomi Ogundimu March 14, 2019
Of the 20 million Americans with a substance use disorder (SUD), only about 2.1 million suffer from opioid use disorder (OUD) specifically. In contrast, nearly 15 million have alcohol use disorder, which kills around 16,000 more people each year than opioids and is at least three times more expensive to treat. These statistics do not argue that providers should stop focusing on opioids. However, with only 12% of patients with a SUD receiving treatment, providers need a comprehensive strategy to increase access to a broader suite of services.
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by Clare Wirth and Hamza Hasan March 5, 2019
Half of patients say convenience and access to care are the most important factors influencing their decision-making—and investors are looking to capitalize on this demand for convenience. Last year, venture capital investors poured $1.4 billion into on-demand health care services, including telemedicine companies (e.g., Doctor on Demand) and patient-centered drug delivery (e.g., Nurx and Hims).
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by Clare Wirth and Tomi Ogundimu February 28, 2019
New research published in Annals of Emergency Medicine evaluated ED utilization patterns and clinical needs among geriatric patients in California. Their findings show that patients over the age of 65 who frequently use the ED:
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