Increased Patient Satisfaction, More Hospice Use Found with Patient-Centered Management

The use of intensive patient-centered management (PCM) for managed care patients with life-limiting diagnosis and multiple comorbid conditions (“complex patients”) can sharply reduce costs and utilization while increasing patient satisfaction. PCM also improves reported quality of life with no adverse effects on survival, a recent study has shown. “Patient-centered management is an emerging, comprehensive patient-focused collaboration that includes end-of-life and pain management, education, provider coordination, and patient advocacy,” write the authors of a report published in The American Journal of Managed Care. Researchers examined the effect of PCM on utilization and patient outcomes in a cohort study of 756 complex patients (cancer diagnosis, 75%) covered by a large health maintenance organization in California from February 2003 through December 2004. In addition to the traditional case management received by the control cohort, those in the PCM group received: