BACKGROUND/RATIONALE:
Veterans with multiple chronic conditions (MCCs) face complex self-care challenges and account for a disproportionate share of the VA's health care utilization and costs. Given the increasing prevalence of multimorbidity within the VA healthcare system, there is a need for innovative and low-cost interventions that address these patients' needs, improve their quality of care and outcomes, support appropriate utilization, and prevent use of unnecessary costly services.

OBJECTIVE(S):
To understand self-management and health care navigation challenges faced by Veterans with MCCs, and to identify eHealth technology and health care delivery interventions that best address their needs.

METHODS:
This CDA harnessed mixed methods to inform the development health care delivery and eHealth interventions for Veterans with MCCs. Formative research included focus groups with patients with MCCs, development and validation of a multimorbidity conceptual framework, and analyses of multimorbidity and utilization patterns among high-cost VA patients. Subsequent work involved the development, implementation, and evaluation of an intensive outpatient program for high-risk Veterans, evaluation of a 5-site PACT-Intensive Management Demonstration Project, and assessments of patient engagement strategies used by programs serving complex, multimorbid patients.

FINDINGS/RESULTS:
Not yet available.

IMPACT:
Veterans are increasingly multimorbid, and there is a critical need for cost-effective mechanisms to help them overcome the challenges associated with managing MCCs. This research identified several health care delivery strategies and eHealth interventions that improve the health and health care experience of patients with MCCs, and that facilitate disease management and prevent unnecessary use of costly acute care.

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External Links for this Project

NIH Reporter

Grant Number: IK2HX000968-01A1
Link: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/8480984

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PUBLICATIONS:

None at this time.

DRA: Health Systems Science
DRE: Technology Development and Assessment
Keywords: none
MeSH Terms: none