Contact: Center for Improving Value in Health Care
Email: ColoradoAPCD@civhc.org
Background: Evidence indicates that malnutrition puts chronically ill patients at increased risk for complications, and that improved nutrition can improve health outcomes. Yet, there is a lack of literature examining the impact of home-delivered meals on chronically-ill individuals. Project Angel Heart is looking to study the quantifiable impact that customized home-delivered meals have on health care costs. Through this study, Project Angel Heart hopes to examine the cost patterns of clients prior to service, during service, and post- service, as well as compare cost and utilization to that of a control group using claims data. We expect that the results of this study will help define the relationship between customized nutrition and the overall health and well-being of individuals. A relationship that reduces healthcare costs through fewer hospital readmissions, fewer complications, and reduced overall utilization. We hope that the results of this study will solidify the importance of home-delivered meals within the framework of holistic care in Colorado.
Goal: To determine if people who receive Project Angel Heart’s home-delivered meals have reduced healthcare expenditures in comparison to those that do not receive services.
Data Analyzed: APCD claims data for Project Angel Heart patient population. This includes all claims for those patients to include pharmacy claims.
Results: In progress.