In health systems across high-income countries, as few as 5-10 percent of patients are responsible for more than 50 percent of the total cost of healthcare. These “high-need, high-cost” patients are likely to suffer from chronic diseases and multiple or complex conditions, often combined with behavioural or mental health problems and socioeconomic challenges.
LSE Health and The Commonwealth Fund are leading a two-year project, involving a group of leading academics and health policy experts from ten countries, to compare and evaluate integrated models of care for high-need / high-cost patients. The project aims to identify best practices in improving health and social care while controlling costs associated with this population.
The working group met for the second time at LSE on the 21st and 22nd of January 2016. Discussions focussed on recent policies adopted in the countries represented, case studies of care models from each country, the group’s evaluative framework for care models and a literature review conducted by LSE Health.
The project will culminate in a report to Health Ministers on prerequisites for a high-performing health care system for high-need / high-cost patients. In addition to analysing models in terms of their ability to improve healthcare quality, improve health outcomes and reduce the cost of care, the report will provide specific policy recommendations to Health Ministers and other senior policymakers.
