Case management program for patient social needs reduces future healthcare use

The present randomized study is one of the first large-scale studies to evaluate the effect of CommunityConnect, a social needs case management program in the United States, on avoidable healthcare utilization and cost. Participants were followed for one year after enrollment. All-cause hospitalization and visits to the emergency department were significantly lower in participants in the intervention group compared to the control group. Similar trends were observed for avoidable emergency department visits and hospitalizations. Patients under age 40 observed the greatest reduction in healthcare use. However, cost savings from the reduced healthcare utilization did not completely cover the costs of the program.