Clinical and economic outcomes of the Cincinnati Pharmacy Coaching Program for diabetes and hypertension.

PURPOSE

Value-based insurance designs (VBID) have been developed by health insurance companies and used by employers to allocate health care resources appropriately and to lower patients' out-of-pocket costs for services related to chronic conditions. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of the Cincinnati Pharmacy Coaching Program (CPCP) on clinical and economic outcomes. The CPCP is a VBID implemented by Anthem Blue Cross & Blue Shield in Ohio. It provided tailored pharmacist-based educational services and financial incentives to participants.

METHODS

This was a quasi-experimental pre/post longitudinal study in which patients were identified as they enrolled in the CPCP between Jan. 1, 2008, and Dec. 31, 2009. Patients could participate in a Diabetes Coaching Program (DCP) or a Heart Healthy Coaching Program (HHCP). Control subjects were selected from patients who were invited but did not choose to participate. Control subjects were matched to intervention cohorts using propensity score matching. Clinical (blood pressure, lipid levels, and hemoglobin A1c) and economic (all-cause and disease-attributable) outcomes were evaluated using within-subject (pre-post) and between-subject comparison (intervention-control) design.

RESULTS

A total of 607 patients were enrolled in intervention groups, and 557 control subjects were selected after matching. Significant reductions were found in blood pressure, lipid levels, and hemoglobin A1c after enrollment, and a significantly greater proportion of patients, compared with controls, achieved their clinical goals according to national guidelines in both programs. Hypertension-related cost trends were favorable for HHCP relative to the control cohort. Diabetes-related costs increased for all groups from pre- to post-index, largely driven by office visits and medication costs in the DCP and inpatient/ER visits in the control cohort.

CONCLUSION

Results showed significant improvements in all diabetes- and hypertension-related clinical measures. This study shows the effect of a comprehensive VBID on the health of patients with chronic disease.