PCMH Model Reduces Costs Among Long-Term Cancer Survivors

Health care costs, emergency department (ED) visits, and hospitalizations were reduced among long-term cancer survivors through use of the patient-centered medical home (PCMH)care model, according to a poster presented at the AMCP 2017 Annual Meeting. 

“Cancer survivors require long-term follow-up care after active cancer treatment and systematic planning for secondary cancer prevention and surveillance. PCMHs may improve outcomes for cancer survivors, however, currently little evidence exists,” JaeJin An, PhD, assistant professor at the College of Pharmacy at the Western University of Health Sciences, wrote.

In order to evaluate how use of PCMHs affected medical spending and health care utilization among long-term cancer survivors in the United States, the researchers analyzed data from the nationally representative Medical Expenditure Panel Survey between 2008 and 2012. Study participants included cancer patients who survived at least 3 years and had a usual care provider. The researchers classified patients with PCMH features (those who received comprehensive care, patient centered care, and accessible care through their primary care provider (PCP) and other specialists) as the PCMH group. They then compared data from patients within the PCMH group to those without PCMH care features.

Of the 4288 study participants, 43.5% were classified into the PCMH group. The researchers found that expenditures were similar between both study groups in 2008, with the PCMH group having $11,587 in costs vs $11,455 for the non-PCMH group (P = .0896).  Study results showed that after follow up in 2011, the PCMH group had medical expenditures of $11,728 vs $13,883 in the non-PCMH group (P = .092).

Furthermore, the researchers found that the odds of hospitalization and ED visit were reduced in the PCMH group, while the frequency of office visits, prescription fills, and related expenditures were similar between both groups.

“The PCMH features were associated with lower health care expenditures among long-term cancer survivors mainly due to reduction of hospitalizations and ED visits,” Dr An concluded in her poster presentation. —David Costill