Using community partnerships to integrate health and social services for high-need, high-cost patients

Authors:
AMARASINGHAM Ruben, et al
Publisher:
Commonwealth Fund
Publication year:
2018
Pagination:
11
Place of publication:
New York

Health care and social services delivery systems are not well-equipped to effectively manage patients with multiple chronic diseases and complex social needs such as food, housing, or substance abuse services. This briefing looks at programmes across the United States that have begun experimenting with programs to integrate health care providers with community-based organizations (CBOs) that address social needs. These needs include housing and food insecurity and assistance with utilities and transportation, among other issues. The briefing highlights common challenges, and proposes solutions, using a mixed-methods approach that includes a literature search, interviews, and survey of selected programs. The findings categorize cross-sector community partnerships in four dimensions: coordination, financial alignment, data and information sharing, and metric reporting. They also identified five common challenges: inadequate strategies to sustain cost-savings, improvement, and funding; lack of accurate and timely measurement of return on investment; lack of mechanisms to share potential savings between health care and social services providers; lack of expertise to integrate multiple data sources during health care or social services provision; and lack of a cross-sector workflow evidence base. (Edited publisher abstract)

Subject terms:
integrated care, health care, complex needs, social services, social care, voluntary organisations, joint working;
Content type:
research
Location(s):
United States
Link:
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