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Collaboration between Independence and Penn Medicine yields unprecedented results

November 20, 2018

Independence Blue Cross (Independence) and the University of Pennsylvania Health System (UPHS) created a collaboration designed to improve quality of care and reduce health care costs for Independence members. The ground-breaking contract, which became effective July 1, 2017, has already shown positive outcomes.

As part of the collaboration, the first of its kind in the United States between a health system and a health insurer, the two organizations launched a new set of innovations to reduce the number of patients who return to the hospital within a month of going home. One year into the new model, the health system is reporting a more than 25 percent cut in hospital readmissions ? the largest readmission reduction in both organizations? history!

Several factors contribute to a patient?s likelihood of being readmitted to the hospital, including:

  • disease progression;
  • emergency room visits for the management of chronic conditions;
  • miscommunication between patient and/or caregivers and medical team regarding medications and/or discharge instructions.

To assist in reducing the number of readmissions, the health system implemented the following practices:

  • focus on improved coordination between the inpatient clinical team and outpatient follow-up and home health care providers to close any treatment gaps that put a patient at a higher risk for readmission;
  • more robust home care services to provide new opportunities for disease management and medication teaching after patients are discharged from the hospital;
  • monitored high-risk patients remotely after leaving the hospital;
  • reviewed patient data daily and having a care coordinator reach out to the patient if indicators are trending toward trouble.

UPHS?s contract with Independence includes the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, Pennsylvania Hospital, and Chester County Hospital, as well as care delivered in outpatient facilities, hospice, and home care services.

For more information or to read the full press release, visit our website.


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