U.S. study suggests pairing 'superusers' with community navigators can reduce number of hospital encounters

Researchers studying the role community navigators can play in reducing the burden of "superusers" on the healthcare system report that the intervention reduced their encounters by 39%. Superusers often have complex socioeconomic needs, and community navigators can address those needs, help patients understand their care journeys and coordinate their care. The study from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center paired superusers with community navigators and compared them to a control group of superusers who did not receive the intervention. Among its findings, it found:

• Both sets of patients reduced their hospital use during the study period, but the superusers who received the intervention saw an additional 13% decrease in hospital visits and an 8% decrease in total hospital days;
• The number of days between healthcare encounters increased by 9% in the intervention group; and
• There was a decrease in 30-day readmission rates and costs in the intervention group, but the results weren't statistically significant.