Signify Health has launched condition focused visits, a new service that provides screening and preventive care tailored around various complex chronic conditions. These services are delivered in the home.
“Condition focused visits are really giving the member, and the provider who is with them in their home, more dedicated time to do some customized care planning and education about that particular condition,” Dr. Heidi Schwarzwald, chief medical officer of Signify, told Home Health Care News. “At the end of these focused visits, there’s a much more specific care plan around that chronic disease that the member and the rest of their care team can use to really reinforce some of those changes they want to make.”
Signify — a part of CVS Health (NYSE: CVS) — is a home-focused platform that leverages analytics, technology, health care provider networks and over 10,000 clinicians to power value-based payment programs. The company also offers in-home evaluations as part of its model.
Condition focused visits build on Signify’s in-home evaluations by adding a layer of specificity around the care of certain complex conditions.
As part of the initial launch, the company partnered with Aetna – also owned by CVS Health – to pilot diabetes-focused visits for members in Texas and Florida.
“The care plan we leave behind is very diabetes specific,” Schwarzwald said. “It’s also very focused on some of the diagnostic and preventative services that may help manage their diabetes, things like diabetes eye exams in the home to reduce complications from diabetic retinopathy. They also have an opportunity, if they need it, to get an updated hemoglobin A1C, looking at their long-term glucose control. They have an opportunity to screen for chronic kidney disease, a common complication with urine and blood tests.”
Signify decided to begin with diabetes-focused visits because of the prevalence of the chronic disease.
Specifically, the amount of adults diagnosed with diabetes has more than doubled in the last 20 years, according to CDC data.
Currently, almost one-third of the U.S. population over the age of 65 have diabetes.
“We also know it’s an expensive chronic condition in the United States, with one out of every $7 spent in health care going to treat diabetes and diabetes related conditions,” Schwarzwald said. “We felt like diabetes was a strong place to start, where we can make significant changes in that individual member’s care plan, and ultimately in the cost and in the management of this disease.”
Signify is able to determine the best candidates through the company’s in-home assessments.
“We know that our visits are oftentimes great activation points for our members,” Schwarzwald said. “Right after our visits, they tend to see their PCPs more often. So this is another activation point. Perhaps they’re going to make those small changes that can be supported through that care plan by their primary care provider, or even the health plan case management team, to help them really get the most benefit from their diabetic care plan.”
In the future, Signify plans to focus on other complex conditions through its condition focused visits program.
“The other visits that we’re really contemplating now are cognitive health visits, as well as cardiovascular visits,” Schwarzwald said. “We’re thinking about those diseases that are driving much of the morbidity in those over 65. Those are in the planning stages. We do believe this is only the beginning.”
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