A nurse-managed computerized system that monitors seniors and their health problems can reduce death rates by as much as one-third, according to a new study from the Oregon Health & Science University, the Portland Tribune reports.
Study Details
For the study, researchers examined 2,288 patients at 13 primary care clinics in Utah over a three-year period.
The patients were divided into two groups. One group received standard health care, and the other group received Care Management Plus, which included nurse managers using computerized records to monitor patients' conditions.
Study Findings
About six out of 100 seniors receiving the higher level of monitoring died within a year of participating in the program, compared with nine out of 100 in the group receiving standard care. After two years, 13 out of 100 patients receiving the higher level of monitoring died, compared with nearly 17 out of 100 patients receiving standard care.
The study also found that seniors with chronic illnesses in the Care Management Plus group had about 4% fewer hospitalizations after one year and 8% fewer hospitalizations after two years than those in the standard care group. The study estimated that reducing hospitalizations would save $17,000 to $70,000 per clinic.
According to lead researcher and OHSU internist David Dorr, the nurse-managed, computerized tracking system appeared to extend the lives of patients in the second group. He attributed the finding to the difficulty of coordinating the care of elderly patients with chronic health conditions (Korn, Portland Tribune, 12/15).