Evaluation of the transprofessional model of home health care for HIV/AIDS.
OBJECTIVE
To determine if a Transprofessional care-management approach (experimental group) produces savings in service delivery dollars when compared to a Traditional treatment approach (control group). The care-management approach utilizes an interdisciplinary mix of allied health professionals who adhere to a service delivery protocol based on active, medical, surgical treatment (curative services) as well as on pain, symptoms, and emotional care (palliative services).


METHODS
Data were collected from 549 AIDS patients admitted for medical/surgical home-care services to the Visiting Nurse Association of Los Angeles (VNA-LA). Demographic and disease-specific data were collected from admitting records; service-utilization data were collected from the VNA-LA's computerized data system.


METHODS
Upon admission for home-care services, patients were randomly assigned to an experimental (Transprofessional) or control (Traditional) treatment group. Service levels were comparable.


RESULTS
Post-test measures indicate an 8 percent reduction in labor delivery costs for an average experimental patient's entire episode of home-care versus for an average control patient's.


CONCLUSIONS
An integrated model of service delivery, which is based on interdiscriplinary, care-management and blended modalities of service, provides a cost-effective method in the provision of home-care services for terminally ill AIDS patients.
Cherin
D A
DA
Visiting Nurse Foundation, Burbank, CA 91502, USA.
Huba
G J
GJ
Brief
D E
DE
Melchior
L A
LA
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003071:Cognition; D003152:Community Health Nursing / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards; D017046:Cost Savings; D003625:Data Collection; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D006302:Health Services Research; D006694:Holistic Health; D006699:Home Care Services / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D015141:Los Angeles; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017146:Models, Organizational; D015397:Program Evaluation