A recent University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine study shows people on Medicaid who were helped by community health workers had 30 percent fewer hospital admissions in a year compared with others on Medicaid.
The research also shows that people on Medicaid who were helped by community health workers had lower rates of smoking, obesity and mental illness, and had less severe diabetes, according to a press release.
Community health workers are community members who customize care for high-risk patients.
This is the second study of how the Individualized Management for Patient-Centered Targets (IMPaCT) Community Health Workers strategy has helped Medicaid patients experience better health outcomes and care.
IMPaCT gives people from low-income areas with chronic medical problems the attention they need from community health workers. Community health workers give patients advice on acts that will help them get better and guide them toward reaching their health goals.
