PACE Successes Highlighted in Harvard Business Review Article

A recent Harvard Business Review article titled “A More Humane Model for Eldercare in the U.S.” described the many benefits of Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE). Intus Care is proud to see PACE recognized as a promising alternative to traditional managed care options and support over 45 programs across the nation.

The PACE model allows older adults who are nursing home eligible to receive care while at home and demonstrates exceptional outcomes in comparison to other models. Review PACE’s excellence through Intus Care’s PACE metrics, to see direct comparison data on falls and inpatient length of stay.

These are some of our key takeaways from the article:

• PACE provides comprehensive care while simultaneously reducing hospital utilization and costs.
• PACE participants have interdisciplinary teams that cover physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual needs.
• PACE is relationship-based, providing participants valuable connections with care teams, staff, community members, and other participants.

PACE Southeast Michigan (PACE SEMI), an organization with seven centers that serve 1,600 participants, is highlighted in the article. While most PACE organizations have seen success due to an emphasis on preventative and whole-person care, PACE SEMI is noted as a “bright spot” for its growth and quality metrics. Some of the ways PACE SEMI goes above and beyond the traditional PACE model include:

• Behavioral health and spiritual care specialists available at each PACE SEMI center
• Community fundraising for members’ quality-of-life improvements like shower chair installation and lighting fixes, helping participants remain in their homes

PACE’s novel approach to managed care makes benchmarks for agenda setting hard to come by. Intus Care empowers PACE organizations to optimize available resources through access to PACE-specific benchmarks and easy-to-interpret data visualizations.

For instance, it is imperative for PACE organizations to prioritize fall prevention to ensure participant safety and well-being. Falls are one of the most common causes of emergency department (ED) visits and hospitalizations. There are countless physical, mental, and emotional factors that can contribute to falls, making fall prevention difficult. Mitigating these fall-related risks is crucial for protecting PACE participants. Intus Care’s platform makes it easier to spot trends through timeline visualizations and accessible information for fast and effective decision making by an IDT.

Using the platform’s utility, Intus Care began tracking several key metrics aggregated from over 45+ PACE partner organizations across 16 states. Falls is one of the key metrics Intus Care tracks and analyzes for partnered programs.

In June 2023, our partner programs saw 8.91 falls per 100MM, down from 9.5 per 100MM in April, marking a 6% decrease. Read our June Monthly State of PACE Metrics blog to see more of the data in action.

Intus Care looks forward to future innovations that make PACE more accessible and effective for both IDTs and participants. As the HBR article states, “PACE is about investing in people’s well-being, keeping them as well as possible for as long as possible. It offers older adults the chance to live at home with a higher quality of care — and of life.” We couldn’t agree more. Intus Care is proud to support PACE organizations nationwide.

Want to learn more about how Intus Care can support your utilization management needs using data analytics and expert consultation? Reach out today!

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