Patient-Centered Community Health Worker Intervention Improves Posthospital Outcomes

Implementing a patient-centered community health worker intervention can improve access to primary care and quality of discharge while controlling recurrent readmissions among low-income patient populations, concludes a study published in the April 2014 issue of JAMA Internal Medicine. The researchers conducted a randomized clinical trial involving 446 patients between April 10, 2011, and October 30, 2012, at two urban, academically affiliated hospitals to determine the effect of a community health worker intervention on completion of primary care follow-up within 14 days of discharge, quality of discharge communication, self-rated health, satisfaction, patient activation, medication adherence, and 30-day readmission rates. For the intervention, community health workers worked with patients during admission to create individualized action plans for achieving patients' stated goals for recovery.