SA HealthPlus: a controlled trial of a statewide application of a generic model of chronic illness care.
SA HealthPlus, one of nine national Australian coordinated care trials, addressed chronic illness care by testing whether coordinated care would improve health outcomes at the cost of usual care. SA HealthPlus compared a generic model of coordinated care for 3,115 intervention patients with the usual care for 1,488 controls. Service coordinators and the behavioral and care-planning approach were new. The health status (SF-36) in six of eight projects improved, and those patients who had been hospitalized in the year immediately preceding the trial were the most likely to save on costs. A mid-trial review found that health benefits from coordinated care depended more on patients' self-management than the severity of their illness, a factor leading to the Flinders Model of Self-Management Support.
Battersby
Malcolm
M
Flinders Human Behavior and Health Research Unit, Flinders University, Australia. Malcolm.Battersby@flinders.edu.au
Harvey
Peter
P
Mills
P David
PD
Kalucy
Elizabeth
E
Pols
R G
RG
Frith
Peter A
PA
McDonald
Peter
P
Esterman
Adrian
A
Tsourtos
George
G
Donato
Ronald
R
Pearce
Rodney
R
McGowan
Christopher
C
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001315:Australia; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000191:economics / Q000628:therapy*; D003266:Continuity of Patient Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D019033:Delivery of Health Care, Integrated / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D017048:Health Care Costs; D018166:Health Care Reform / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006302:Health Services Research; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017146:Models, Organizational; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D018802:Patient-Centered Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D010865:Pilot Projects