Study: Wraparound services reduce health costs, improve outcomes
Oct. 3 (UPI) -- Providing nonmedical services in conjunction with primary care -- known as wraparound services -- resulted in a reduction in the number of hospitalizations and emergency room visits, according to a study of one system. Researchers studied the effects of a large urban safety-net health provider that also included on-site dietetics and social work: Eskenazi Health in Indianapolis. The findings were published in the October issue of the journal Health Affairs. Providers have been turning to nonmedical services to improve patient outcomes and reduce overall healthcare spending as "U.S. reimbursement policies are increasingly holding providers financially accountable for patients' health," said the authors, who were affiliated with the health provider as well as Indiana Univers...