New Study Finds Healthy Days Valid Tool for Evaluating Population Health in Medicare Advantage Patients with Chronic Conditions
27 October 2017 - 4:15AM
Business Wire
Humana, the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation joint study
links higher incremental unhealthy days to the presence of certain
chronic conditions and to noncompliance with certain quality
measures
Humana Inc. (NYSE: HUM) today announced results from a study
that found a relationship between patient-reported, health-related
quality of life (HRQoL) and multiple objective measures of health
in elderly Medicare Advantage patients with chronic conditions.
The study was published in The American Journal of Managed Care
and co-authored by researchers from Humana, the Robert Wood Johnson
Foundation, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC). The findings underscore the validity of using Healthy Days
data to supplement traditional health measures in assessing health
status in this population and to evaluate overall population
health.
The study found that patients with six chronic conditions
(coronary artery disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
(COPD), hypertension, diabetes, congestive heart failure, and
depression) experienced a greater number of physically and mentally
unhealthy days than the population average. However, those who were
compliant with certain quality measures related to their chronic
conditions, such as diabetic eye exams or medication adherence,
reported fewer unhealthy days. Patients who reported more unhealthy
days had higher health care utilization (doctor visits and
hospitalizations).
The researchers used the survey instrument Healthy Days to
evaluate HRQoL, a CDC measure that assesses the total burden of
disease in a population, including physical, emotional, and mental
health and social functioning. Healthy Days uses four questions to
assess how individuals perceive their recent health and how many
days over the previous month they felt physically or mentally
unwell.
“This is an important study showing how Healthy Days data
correlates with health indicators from administrative claims, and
the findings show the survey tool is a valid method to evaluate
overall population health,” said Tristan Cordier, MPH, analytics
manager, Clinical Analytics at Humana and lead author of the study.
“These results also support Humana’s decision to use Healthy Days
to measure progress toward its goal of improving the health of the
communities served by 20 percent by 2020.”
On average, the study population reported seven physically
unhealthy days and four mentally unhealthy days, with a third of
patients reporting zero unhealthy days. COPD and depression had the
biggest incremental impacts on HRQoL with 2.93 and 2.41 excess
physically unhealthy days and 1.08 and 4.02 excess mentally
unhealthy days, respectively.
Patients who reported more unhealthy days had higher adjusted
health care utilization (doctor visits and hospitalizations) and
higher costs.
Not completing diabetic eye exams and LDL cholesterol screening
or not having good control of diabetes (measured by hemoglobin A1c)
was associated with significantly more physically unhealthy days
after adjusting for potential other factors affecting HRQoL.
Similarly, not completing diabetic eye exams and not controlling
LDL cholesterol in diabetes were associated with significantly more
mentally unhealthy days. In addition, nonadherence with angiotensin
converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers and
oral diabetes medications was associated with significantly more
physically and mentally unhealthy days.
The study evaluated a Medicare Advantage population of 55,681
individuals who had a mean age of 75 years, were 56 percent female
and 87 percent white. Hypertension and congestive heart failure
were the most and least prevalent chronic conditions (73 percent
and 12 percent), respectively.
Humana is creating population-level health care interventions
that can potentially reduce the burden of chronic disease and
improve overall wellbeing. Future studies will use Healthy Days
data to investigate the impact of such interventions. Humana
remains committed to its Bold Goal of improving the health of the
communities served by 20 percent by 2020.
Authors of the study are Tristan Cordier, M.P.H.; S. Lane
Slabaugh, Pharm.D.; Eric Havens, M.A.; Jonathan Pena, M.S.; Gil
Haugh, M.S.; Vipin Gopal, Ph.D.; Andrew Renda, M.D.; Mona Shah,
Ph.D.; and Matthew Zack, M.D.
About Humana Inc.
Humana Inc. is committed to helping our millions of medical and
specialty members achieve their best health. Our successful history
in care delivery and health plan administration is helping us
create a new kind of integrated care with the power to improve
health and well-being and lower costs. Our efforts are leading to a
better quality of life for people with Medicare, families,
individuals, military service personnel, and communities at
large.
To accomplish that, we support physicians and other health care
professionals as they work to deliver the right care in the right
place for their patients, our members. Our range of clinical
capabilities, resources and tools – such as in-home care,
behavioral health, pharmacy services, data analytics and wellness
solutions – combine to produce a simplified experience that makes
health care easier to navigate and more effective.
More information regarding Humana is available to investors via
the Investor Relations page of the company’s website
at www.humana.com, including copies of:
- Annual reports to stockholders
- Securities and Exchange Commission
filings
- Most recent investor conference
presentations
- Quarterly earnings news releases and
conference calls
- Calendar of events
- Corporate Governance information
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version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171026005814/en/
Humana Corporate CommunicationsAlex Kepnes,
502-580-2990akepnes@humana.com
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