RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Precision public-health intervention for care coordination: a real-world study
JF British Journal of General Practice
JO Br J Gen Pract
FD British Journal of General Practice
SP BJGP.2022.0067
DO 10.3399/BJGP.2022.0067
A1 Andre Q Andrade
A1 Jean-Pierre Calabretto
A1 Nicole L Pratt
A1 Lisa M Kalisch-Ellett
A1 Vanessa T Le Blanc
A1 Elizabeth E Roughead
YR 2023
UL http://bjgp.org/content/early/2023/01/09/BJGP.2022.0067.abstract
AB Background Health emergencies disproportionally affect vulnerable populations. Digital tools can help primary care providers find, and reach, the right patients.Aim To evaluate whether digital interventions delivered directly to GPs’ clinical software were more effective at promoting primary care appointments during the COVID-19 pandemic than interventions delivered by post.Design and setting Real-world, non-randomised, interventional study involving GP practices in all Australian states.Method Intervention material was developed to promote care coordination for vulnerable older veterans during the COVID-19 pandemic, and sent to GPs either digitally to the clinical practice software system or in the post. The intervention material included patient-specific information sent to GPs to support care coordination, and education material sent via post to veterans identified in the administrative claims database. To evaluate the impact of intervention delivery modalities on outcomes, the time to first appointment with the primary GP was measured; a Cox proportional hazards model was used, adjusting for differences and accounting for pre-intervention appointment numbers.Results The intervention took place in April 2020, during the first weeks of COVID-19 social distancing restrictions in Australia. GPs received digital messaging for 51 052 veterans and postal messaging for 26 859 veterans. The digital group was associated with earlier appointments (adjusted hazard ratio 1.38 [1.34 to 1.41]).Conclusion Data-driven digital solutions can promote care coordination at scale during national emergencies, opening up new perspectives for precision public-health initiatives.