Group medicare wellness visits: A pilot exploration of an approach to wellness and preventive medicine for older adults

Introduction: The Medicare annual wellness visit was designed to address health risks and encourage evidence-based preventive care in aging. However, it can be challenging for providers to dedicate time for comprehensive attention to wellness during these visits. Our project implements a group setti...

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Main Authors: Charis Wiltshire, Katarzyna Budzynska, Pooja Kulkarni, Nike Shoyinka, Denise White Perkins
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2023-12-01
Series:Preventive Medicine Reports
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211335523004059
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author Charis Wiltshire
Katarzyna Budzynska
Pooja Kulkarni
Nike Shoyinka
Denise White Perkins
author_facet Charis Wiltshire
Katarzyna Budzynska
Pooja Kulkarni
Nike Shoyinka
Denise White Perkins
author_sort Charis Wiltshire
collection DOAJ
description Introduction: The Medicare annual wellness visit was designed to address health risks and encourage evidence-based preventive care in aging. However, it can be challenging for providers to dedicate time for comprehensive attention to wellness during these visits. Our project implements a group setting for Medicare wellness visits (GMWV) as an efficient method for delivering high value preventive care. Methods: Three hundred patients from two primary care ambulatory clinics in Detroit, MI in need of their annual Medicare visit were invited to participate in the pilot GMWV. Fifty-eight patients agreed and completed their GMWV. The visit included collection of vitals, vision screening, and risk assessment during check-in, followed by educational wellness presentations led by an interdisciplinary team of six healthcare professionals. Patients completed a post visit-satisfaction survey and researchers calculated rates of completion of health maintenance gaps (HMG), i.e. immunizations and cancer screenings, among participants. Results: The average age of participants (N female = 48) was 74 years old. Thirty-four participants had more than one HMG at baseline. On average, 8 % of immunization gaps and 12 % of screening gaps were completed at or within one-year post GMWV. Participant feedback reported that 82 % of patients felt that they learned something new from the presentation and 81 % of patients felt satisfied with the amount of time they spent with their physician. Discussion: GMWV is a feasible approach to promoting wellness and healthy aging that patients find satisfying although, additional study is needed to compare the effectiveness of this model to standard care.
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spelling doaj.art-d825922666104454841ba3685ea443b62023-11-16T06:09:41ZengElsevierPreventive Medicine Reports2211-33552023-12-0136102514Group medicare wellness visits: A pilot exploration of an approach to wellness and preventive medicine for older adultsCharis Wiltshire0Katarzyna Budzynska1Pooja Kulkarni2Nike Shoyinka3Denise White Perkins4Department of Family Medicine and Public Health Sciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, 939 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, MI 48201, United States; Corresponding author.Department of Family Medicine, Henry Ford Hospital, 3370 E Jefferson Ave, Detroit, MI 48207, United StatesDepartment of Family Medicine, Henry Ford Hospital, 3370 E Jefferson Ave, Detroit, MI 48207, United StatesDepartment of Family Medicine, Henry Ford Hospital, 3370 E Jefferson Ave, Detroit, MI 48207, United StatesDepartment of Family Medicine and Public Health Sciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, 939 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, MI 48201, United States; Department of Family Medicine, Henry Ford Hospital, 3370 E Jefferson Ave, Detroit, MI 48207, United StatesIntroduction: The Medicare annual wellness visit was designed to address health risks and encourage evidence-based preventive care in aging. However, it can be challenging for providers to dedicate time for comprehensive attention to wellness during these visits. Our project implements a group setting for Medicare wellness visits (GMWV) as an efficient method for delivering high value preventive care. Methods: Three hundred patients from two primary care ambulatory clinics in Detroit, MI in need of their annual Medicare visit were invited to participate in the pilot GMWV. Fifty-eight patients agreed and completed their GMWV. The visit included collection of vitals, vision screening, and risk assessment during check-in, followed by educational wellness presentations led by an interdisciplinary team of six healthcare professionals. Patients completed a post visit-satisfaction survey and researchers calculated rates of completion of health maintenance gaps (HMG), i.e. immunizations and cancer screenings, among participants. Results: The average age of participants (N female = 48) was 74 years old. Thirty-four participants had more than one HMG at baseline. On average, 8 % of immunization gaps and 12 % of screening gaps were completed at or within one-year post GMWV. Participant feedback reported that 82 % of patients felt that they learned something new from the presentation and 81 % of patients felt satisfied with the amount of time they spent with their physician. Discussion: GMWV is a feasible approach to promoting wellness and healthy aging that patients find satisfying although, additional study is needed to compare the effectiveness of this model to standard care.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211335523004059Healthy agingMedicare wellnessPatient satisfactionShared medical appointmentHealth maintenance gapChronic disease management
spellingShingle Charis Wiltshire
Katarzyna Budzynska
Pooja Kulkarni
Nike Shoyinka
Denise White Perkins
Group medicare wellness visits: A pilot exploration of an approach to wellness and preventive medicine for older adults
Preventive Medicine Reports
Healthy aging
Medicare wellness
Patient satisfaction
Shared medical appointment
Health maintenance gap
Chronic disease management
title Group medicare wellness visits: A pilot exploration of an approach to wellness and preventive medicine for older adults
title_full Group medicare wellness visits: A pilot exploration of an approach to wellness and preventive medicine for older adults
title_fullStr Group medicare wellness visits: A pilot exploration of an approach to wellness and preventive medicine for older adults
title_full_unstemmed Group medicare wellness visits: A pilot exploration of an approach to wellness and preventive medicine for older adults
title_short Group medicare wellness visits: A pilot exploration of an approach to wellness and preventive medicine for older adults
title_sort group medicare wellness visits a pilot exploration of an approach to wellness and preventive medicine for older adults
topic Healthy aging
Medicare wellness
Patient satisfaction
Shared medical appointment
Health maintenance gap
Chronic disease management
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211335523004059
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