An emerging model for Community Health worker-based chronic care management for patients with high health care costs in rural appalachia

Abstract

Community health workers (CHWs) can improve patients' health by providing them with ongoing behavioral support during the health care experience, and they help decrease health care costs, especially among patients whose starting costs are high and among underserved and minority populations. We developed a CHW-based care model with the aim of improving outcomes and lower-ing costs for high-risk diabetes patients in rural Appalachia. En-rolled patients experienced a mean decrease in HbA1c of 2.4 per-centage points, and 60% or more of patients with diabetes lowered their blood glucose between baseline and 6 to 12 months after en-rollment. As health care providers and patients became familiar with this model of care management, enrollment in the program accelerated.