Community Health Workers Reduce Rehospitalizations and Emergency Department Visits for Low-Socioeconomic Urban Patients With Heart Failure.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Low-socioeconomic, urban, minority patients with heart failure (HF) often have unique barriers to care. Community health workers (CHWs) are specially trained laypeople who serve as liaisons between underserved communities and the health system. It is not known whether CHWs improve outcomes in low-socioeconomic, urban, minority patients with HF.

Hypothesis

CHWs reduce rehospitalizations, emergency department (ED) visits, and healthcare costs for low-socioeconomic urban patients with HF.

Methods

Patients admitted with acute decompensated HF were assigned to receive weekly visits by CHW after discharge. Patients were propensity score matched with controls who received usual care. HF-related rehospitalizations, ED visits, and inpatient costs were compared for 1

SUBMITTER: Vohra AS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7679953 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature