Managed Care, Telehealth, Care Coordination Are Topics of New Foundation Grants
PALO ALTO – How children with special health care needs fare under managed care systems will be assessed by the National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP) under a new grant awarded by the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health.
Other new grants from the foundation will focus on improving regular pediatric visits for children with complex conditions; exploring best practices for organizing and funding care coordination; and expanding access to telehealth.
Many states already enroll children with special health care needs in Medicaid managed care systems. NASHP researchers will identify best practices and commonly encountered problems from several of these states, and will offer recommendations for states contemplating making the change to managed care, which includes California.
A grant to Johns Hopkins University will fund development of an online tool to help families engage more actively in planning health care visits for their children with special health care needs. This project is designed to improve the quality, efficiency and effectiveness of scheduled pediatric visits. Preventive care is particularly important for children with complex conditions because these visits are intended to forestall complications of their illness and deterioration of their health status. Currently there is no consensus on the best content or process for such visits.
"Research shows that including the patient or the family in planning the content of medical visits leads to better health outcomes and higher satisfaction with care," said Ed Schor, MD, senior vice president at the foundation. "This online tool will provide guidance for families and care providers alike."
Chronic illness is much more common among adults than children, and much has been learned about how to coordinate care while managing these conditions in adults. A grant to Mathematica Policy Research will fund a review of research and demonstration projects funded by Medicare on the care of chronically ill adults, and offer guidance for policymakers on how best to organize, provide and finance care coordination for children with chronic conditions.
Expanding access to telehealth services for children with special needs is the aim of a grant to The Children’s Partnership. The Partnership will organize groups of stakeholders to develop goals and advocate with policymakers for implementation of policies, regulations and processes that will improve telehealth access for pediatric and subspecialty services.
See details about each of the grants:
Leveraging Telehealth to Improve Access to Care for CSHCN and Other Underserved Children: Phase 2
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About the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children's Health: The Lucile Packard Foundation for Children's Health is a public charity, founded in 1997. Its mission is to elevate the priority of children's health, and to increase the quality and accessibility of children's health care through leadership and direct investment. The Foundation works in alignment with Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford and the child health programs of Stanford University. Through its Program for Children with Special Health Care Needs, the foundation supports development of a high-quality health care system that results in better health outcomes for children and enhanced quality of life for families.