A large proportion of frequent ED users have Medicaid insurance. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of patient navigation for reducing Emergency Department (ED) visits and hospitalizations and improving patient-centered outcomes (e.g., self-reported health status, quality of life, access/barriers to care) among Medicaid patients who are high utilizers of the ED, as well as to identify best practices for engaging and providing healthcare services to underserved patients using patient navigation. This study will address needs that have been identified within the New Haven community and the local healthcare system, contribute to knowledge and literature surrounding the use of patient navigation to improve care for underserved patients and improve health system efficiency, and inform the design and development of programs that address these needs both locally and in other communities.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
100
Patients in the intervention group will be offered patient navigation and timely access to comprehensive care and services through Project Access-New Haven (PA-NH), a local non-profit organization that coordinates the provision of donated medical care and services to underserved patients through a network of participating hospitals and volunteer physicians.
Patients in the standard of care group will experience the usual intake process in the ED setting.
Yale New Haven Hospital
New Haven, Connecticut, United States
Number of ED visits
Additional outcomes include number of hospitalizations, number of outpatient visits, and outpatient imaging utilization.
Time frame: One Year
Number of hospitalizations
Time frame: One Year
Number of outpatient visits
Time frame: One Year
Costs by analyzing global use with Medicaid claims data
Time frame: One year
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