HIV Clinics Lower Financial Risk and Improve Revenue
HIV Clinics Lower Financial Risk and Improve Revenue
We calculated the financial impact in 6 HIV clinics of a low-effort retention in care intervention involving brief motivational messages from providers, patient brochures, and posters. We used a linear regression model to calculate absolute changes in kept primary care visits from the preintervention year (2008–2009) to the intervention year (2009–2010). Revenue from patients' insurance was also assessed by clinic. Kept visits improved significantly in the intervention year versus the preintervention year (P < 0.0001). We found a net-positive effect on clinic revenue of +$24,000/year for an average-size clinic (7400 scheduled visits/year). We encourage HIV clinic administrators to consider implementing this low-effort intervention.
Adverse HIV patient outcomes from poor retention in care have been quantified, but few reports have estimated the financial impacts to clinics of attempting an intervention to improve retention in care. In 2009, we initiated a 12-month clinic-wide intervention sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Health Resources and Services Administration, with the aim to improve patients' attendance for HIV primary care (PC). Following a comparison preintervention year, we delivered a 12-month clinic-wide intervention of brief information to patients about the importance of staying in care, which significantly improved adherence to PC appointments. In this report, we extend the analysis of the intervention by estimating the clinic visit revenue and financial benefits of having fewer missed PC visits in the intervention year compared with the preintervention year.
Abstract and Introduction
Abstract
We calculated the financial impact in 6 HIV clinics of a low-effort retention in care intervention involving brief motivational messages from providers, patient brochures, and posters. We used a linear regression model to calculate absolute changes in kept primary care visits from the preintervention year (2008–2009) to the intervention year (2009–2010). Revenue from patients' insurance was also assessed by clinic. Kept visits improved significantly in the intervention year versus the preintervention year (P < 0.0001). We found a net-positive effect on clinic revenue of +$24,000/year for an average-size clinic (7400 scheduled visits/year). We encourage HIV clinic administrators to consider implementing this low-effort intervention.
Introduction
Adverse HIV patient outcomes from poor retention in care have been quantified, but few reports have estimated the financial impacts to clinics of attempting an intervention to improve retention in care. In 2009, we initiated a 12-month clinic-wide intervention sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Health Resources and Services Administration, with the aim to improve patients' attendance for HIV primary care (PC). Following a comparison preintervention year, we delivered a 12-month clinic-wide intervention of brief information to patients about the importance of staying in care, which significantly improved adherence to PC appointments. In this report, we extend the analysis of the intervention by estimating the clinic visit revenue and financial benefits of having fewer missed PC visits in the intervention year compared with the preintervention year.
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