The effects of a variant of the program for all-inclusive care of the elderly on hospital utilization and outcomes.
OBJECTIVE
To compare the effects of the Wisconsin Partnership Program (WPP) on hospital, emergency department (ED), and nursing home utilization with those of traditional care.


METHODS
Quasi-experimental longitudinal cohort design.


METHODS
Selected counties in Wisconsin.


METHODS
WPP elderly enrollees and two matched control groups consisting of frail older people enrolled in fee-for-service insurance plans, Medicare, and Medicaid and receiving home- and community-based waiver services, one from the same geographic area as the WPP and another from a location in the state where the WPP was not offered.


METHODS
Data came from administrative records. Regression and survival analyses were adjusted for case-mix variables.


RESULTS
No significant differences in hospital utilization, ED visits, preventable hospitalizations, risk of entry into nursing homes, or mortality were found. WPP enrollees had more contact with care providers than did controls.


CONCLUSIONS
WPP did not dramatically alter the pattern of care. Part of the weak effect may be attributable to the small numbers of WPP cases per participating physician.
Kane
Robert L
RL
School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, USA. kanex001@umn.edu
Homyak
Patricia
P
Bershadsky
Boris
B
Flood
Shannon
S
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006299:Health Services for the Aged / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008329:Managed Care Programs / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008484:Medicaid; D006278:Medicare; D015397:Program Evaluation; D014600:Utilization Review; D014922:Wisconsin