MaryCatherine Arbour, Placidina Fico, Sidney Atwood, Na Yu, Lynn Hur, Maahika Srinivasan, Richard Gitomer
{"title":"Primary Care-Based Housing Program Reduced Outpatient Visits; Patients Reported Mental And Physical Health Benefits.","authors":"MaryCatherine Arbour, Placidina Fico, Sidney Atwood, Na Yu, Lynn Hur, Maahika Srinivasan, Richard Gitomer","doi":"10.1377/hlthaff.2023.01046","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Screening for housing instability has increased as health systems move toward value-based care, but evidence on how health care-based housing interventions affect patient outcomes comes mostly from interventions that address homelessness. In this mixed-methods evaluation of a primary care-based housing program in Boston, Massachusetts, for 1,139 patients with housing-related needs that extend beyond homelessness, we found associations between program participation and health care use. Patients enrolled in the program between October 2018 and March 2021 had 2.5 fewer primary care visits and 3.6 fewer outpatient visits per year compared with those who were not enrolled, including fewer social work, behavioral health, psychiatry, and urgent care visits. Patients in the program who obtained new housing reported mental and physical health benefits, and some expressed having stronger connections to their health care providers. Many patients attributed improvements in mental health to compassionate support provided by the program's housing advocates. Health care-based housing interventions should address the needs of patients facing imminent housing crises. Such interventions hold promise for redressing health inequities and restoring dignity to the connections between historically marginalized patient populations and health care institutions.</p>","PeriodicalId":50411,"journal":{"name":"Health Affairs","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":8.6000,"publicationDate":"2024-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Health Affairs","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.2023.01046","RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"HEALTH CARE SCIENCES & SERVICES","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Screening for housing instability has increased as health systems move toward value-based care, but evidence on how health care-based housing interventions affect patient outcomes comes mostly from interventions that address homelessness. In this mixed-methods evaluation of a primary care-based housing program in Boston, Massachusetts, for 1,139 patients with housing-related needs that extend beyond homelessness, we found associations between program participation and health care use. Patients enrolled in the program between October 2018 and March 2021 had 2.5 fewer primary care visits and 3.6 fewer outpatient visits per year compared with those who were not enrolled, including fewer social work, behavioral health, psychiatry, and urgent care visits. Patients in the program who obtained new housing reported mental and physical health benefits, and some expressed having stronger connections to their health care providers. Many patients attributed improvements in mental health to compassionate support provided by the program's housing advocates. Health care-based housing interventions should address the needs of patients facing imminent housing crises. Such interventions hold promise for redressing health inequities and restoring dignity to the connections between historically marginalized patient populations and health care institutions.
期刊介绍:
Health Affairs is a prestigious journal that aims to thoroughly examine significant health policy matters both domestically and globally. Our publication is committed to addressing issues that are relevant to both the private and public sectors. We are enthusiastic about inviting private and public decision-makers to contribute their innovative ideas in a publishable format. Health Affairs seeks to incorporate various perspectives from industry, labor, government, and academia, ensuring that our readers benefit from the diverse viewpoints within the healthcare field.