An Integrated Patient-Centred Medical Home (PCMH) Care Model Reduces Prospective Healthcare Utilisation for Community-Dwelling Older Adults with Complex Needs: A Matched Observational Study in Singapore

Grace Sum (), Silvia Yu Hui Sim, Junxing Chay, Soon Hoe Ho, Mimaika Luluina Ginting, Zoe Zon Be Lim, Joanne Yoong and Chek Hooi Wong
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Grace Sum: Geriatric Education and Research Institute, Singapore 768024, Singapore
Silvia Yu Hui Sim: Geriatric Education and Research Institute, Singapore 768024, Singapore
Junxing Chay: Lien Centre for Palliative Care, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore 169857, Singapore
Soon Hoe Ho: Geriatric Education and Research Institute, Singapore 768024, Singapore
Mimaika Luluina Ginting: Geriatric Education and Research Institute, Singapore 768024, Singapore
Zoe Zon Be Lim: Geriatric Education and Research Institute, Singapore 768024, Singapore
Joanne Yoong: Geriatric Education and Research Institute, Singapore 768024, Singapore
Chek Hooi Wong: Research for Impact, Singapore 159964, Singapore

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 19, 1-15

Abstract: The global ageing population is associated with increased health service use. The PCMH care model integrates primary care and home-based care management to deliver comprehensive and personalised healthcare to community-dwelling older adults with bio-psycho-social needs. We examined if an integrated PCMH reduced healthcare utilisation burden of older persons in Singapore. We compared the healthcare utilisation between the intervention group and coarsened exact matched controls for a follow-up of 15 months. Baseline matching covariates included socio-demographics, health status, and past healthcare use. We accounted for COVID-19 social distancing effects on health-seeking behaviour. The intervention group consisted of 165 older adults with complex needs. We analysed national administrative healthcare utilisation data from 2017 to 2020. We applied multivariable zero-inflated regression modelling and presented findings stratified by high (CCI ≥ 5) and low disease burden (CCI < 5). Compared to controls, there were significant reductions in emergency department (β = −0.85; 95%CI = −1.55 to −0.14) and primary care visits (β = −1.70; 95%CI = −2.17 to −1.22) and a decrease in specialist outpatient visits (β = −0.29; 95%CI = −0.64 to 0.07) in the 3-month period immediately after one-year enrolment. The number of acute hospitalisations remained stable. Compared to controls, the intervention group with high and low comorbidity burden had significant decreases in primary care use, while only those with lower comorbidity burden had significant reductions in utilisation of other service types. An integrated PCMH appears beneficial in reducing healthcare utilisation for older persons with complex needs after 1 year in the programme. Future research can explore longer-term utilisation and scalability of the care model.

Keywords: aged; integrated care; person-centred care; care coordination; healthcare utilisation; complex needs; community-dwelling; multimorbidity; COVID-19; quasi-experimental (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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