Sep. 16, 2014 - For older U.S. military veterans with multiple chronic conditions, including diabetes, taking advantage of home-based primary care from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) was linked to fewer hospitalizations, in a recent study.Some VA medical centers in the U.S. offer home-based primary care, in which a physician supervises a health care team that provides services in the veteran’s home, rather than through regular clinic visits.
Patients are cared for “by a multidisciplinary team of physicians, nurses, social workers, pharmacists and psychologists,” said lead author Dr. Samuel T. Edwards of the Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System in an email to Reuters Health.
The study didn’t address why home-based primary care was linked to fewer preventable hospitalizations. But Edwards said the program could potentially improve compliance with medications and ensure that patients understood their care plans. It could also improve coordination of social and support services, referrals and specialty care. read more>>>
No comments:
Post a Comment