Editor’s note: This post is part of a series showcasing Barcelona GSE master projects by students in the Class of 2014. The project is a required component of every master program.
Effectiveness of primary care ValCRÒNIC teleHealth program: outcome findings on mortality and healthcare service consumption in patients with high-risk chronic conditions. A cohort study with matched controls in Valencia community, Spain.
Author:
Sherman Kong
Master Program:
Health Economics and Policy
Paper Abstract:
We analyze the mortality and hospitalization level of 512 patients enrolled in the ValCRÒNIC teleHealth program in Valencia public health region with a matched control of 1023 patients with same risk profiles. We obtain medical records of patient sample for 12 months before start of trial and follow-up on consumption level from hospital and primary care facilities for 12 months during program. We observed utilization level before and after trial and found an increase in primary care nurse and home care visitations. We used logistic and zero-inflated Poisson models to estimate effect of program enrollment to intense acute hospital use, deaths and avoidable hospitalization rate. We found insignificant benefits to reducing mortality and intense acute hospital use.
Author’s note: This paper is a work in progress, pending revision of results.
Read the full paper or view slides below:
[slideshare id=39412038&doc=valcronic-telehealth-slides-140923030346-phpapp01]