6 types of interventions to improve population health.
As health systems look to take on risk through population health management, clinical leaders are exploring which population health interventions provide the greatest ROI.
When brainstorming or selecting among various potential initiatives, clinicians may select among six various types of interventions. Connie Evashwick, ScD, FACHE, an independent consultant at Consulting & Evaluation Associates, and Ann Scheck McAlearney, ScD, professor of family medicine and vice chair of research at the Ohio State University, discussed the six types of population health interventions during a session at the American College of Healthcare Executives' 57th Congress on Healthcare Leadership.
- Disease management — Example: Diabetes management programs
- Catastrophic care management — Example: Programs to reduce risk for individuals with a high risk of developing conditions that lead to catastrophic healthcare costs (e.g., cancer, brain injury)
- Demand management — Example: Nurse call lines
- Disability management — Example: Employer-sponsored programs to reduce disability days and costs
- Lifestyle management — Example: Seat belt compliance campaigns, smoking cessation programs, weight management programs
- Integrated care management — Example: Programs that integrate other types of interventions (e.g., catastrophic care management, disease management and demand management for cancer patients) with shared outcomes and monitoring over time
Note: For guidance on how to evaluate and choose among a number of initiatives, see the article "6 Questions to Evaluate Population Health Initiatives."