Community Health Worker Care Transitions Study

This study focuses on pairing community health workers (CHWs) with patients that are high risk for readmission prior to hospital discharge in order to assess differences in hospital readmission rates, ED visits, patient satisfaction and provider satisfaction as compared to patients without community health worker pairings at discharge.

This study is a randomized controlled trial of 1200 adult patients admitted to internal medicine units that will examine the effectiveness of pairing patients that are high risk for readmission with community health workers at the time of hospital discharge on hospital readmission rates, emergency room visits, adherence to post-discharge medical appontments, and satisfaction with care. During this study, community health workers will partner with patients for 30 days after discharge from the hospital to address barriers to care via phone contacts, home visits, and accompanying patients to medical appointments/other non-clinical supportive care.

AIM 1) Determine if patients randomly assigned to the intervention group have lower rates of hospital readmission than the control group at the end of the intervention.

Hypothesis 1.1 Study participants in the intervention group will have lower rates of post-discharge thirty day readmission than the study participants in the control group at the end of the intervention.

AIM 2) Determine if patients randomly assigned to the intervention group will have less emergency room visits than the control group at the end of the intervention

Hypothesis 2.1 Study participants in the intervention group will have less emergency room visits than the study participants in the control group at the end of the intervention.

AIM 3) Determine if patients randomly assigned to the intervention group have more adherence to post-discharge appointments that study group participants in the control group at the end of the intervention

Hypothesis: 3.1 Study participants in the intervention group will have higher rates of attendance at post-discharge medical appointments than the study participants in the control group at the end of the intervention.

AIM 4) Determine if patients randomly assigned to the intervention group have higher levels of patient psychosocial support and satisfaction with post-discharge care than the control group

Hypothesis 4.1: Study participants in the intervention group will have higher levels of patient psychosocial support and satisfaction with post-discharge care than the study participants in the control group at the end of the intervention.

AIM 5) Determine if Primary Care Physicians of patients randomly assigned to the intervention group have higher levels of satisfaction with post-discharge care than Primary Care Providers of patients in the control group

Hypothesis 5.1: Primary Care Physicians of patients randomly assigned to the intervention group have higher levels of satisfaction with post-discharge care than Primary Care Providers of patients in the control group

After reviewing the fact sheet and consenting to enrollment by signing the informed consent form, patients will randomized to the intervention or control groups of the study.

STUDY PROCEDURES

Intervention Arm Group:

Patients randomized to the intervention group will be paired with community health workers prior to discharge from the hospital and patient- centered program goals will be established. A patient questionnaire (10-15 minutes) will be administered to intervention study participants by a study coordinator prior to discharge. A chart review will be performed for all intervention group participants by study coordinators prior to patient discharge. Patient-CHW pairings will continue for thirty days post-discharge and will include phone contacts, home visits, accompanying patients to medical appointments and other non-clinical supportive care. Both intervention group participants and primary care providers (PCPs) of intervention study participants will complete questionnaires 30-60 days after hospital discharge to assess certain patient ( 10 minute questionnaire; via phone) and primary care provider ( 5 minute questionnaire via email) perceptions (Please see Aim 4 and Aim 5). CHWs will document patient encounters in a REDCap database and complete patient care notes in EPIC. All intervention study participants readmitted within thirty days of prior discharge will be administered a readmission questionnaire by study coordinators. A chart review for readmitted study participants will also be performed by study staff. A REDCap database will be used to store all questionnaire and chart review data. Readmission rates, ED visits, PCP appointment compliance, patient/ PCP will be tracked.

Control Arm Group:

Those randomized to the control group will receive usual care without a community heath worker pairing. A patient questionnaire (10-15 minutes) will be administered to intervention study participants by a study coordinator prior to discharge. A chart review will be performed for all control group participants by study coordinators prior to patient discharge. Both control group participants and primary care providers (PCPs) of intervention study participants will complete questionnaires 30-60 days after hospital discharge to assess certain patient ( 10 minute questionnaire; via phone) and primary care provider ( 5 minute questionnaire via email) perceptions (Please see Aim 4 and Aim 5). A REDCap database will be used to store all questionnaire and chart review data. Readmission rates, ED visits, PCP appointment compliance, patient/ PCP perceptions will be tracked.

Three groups of research subjects will be assessed: the intervention study group, the control study group, and the PCPs of the patients enrolled in the study.

Eligibility Criteria:
Inclusion Criteria:

* Inclusion criteria will include the following: enrollment in a Partners Risk Contract; agreement to participate in the study with ability to consent to enrollment, working phone number for patient contact and patient address of residence within 15 mile radius on MGH 55 Fruit Street, Boston, MA.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Exclusion criteria will include a lack of capacity to consent to enrollment ( including prisoner status) or lack of cognitive ability to complete the survey, living outside of a 15 mile radius of the MGH 55 Fruit street location and having a primary care provider outside the MGH system.