Patient-Centered Outcomes Research
About half of adults in the top 5% of healthcare spending are considered medically and socially complex and have unique needs requiring researchers and practitioners to seek ways to improve targeted healthcare delivery for this at-risk population.The PCORI Engagement Award [3988‐TTUP] was a two-year process that brought together multiple stakeholders involved in the care of medically and social complex patients, including patients, providers, community‐based organizations (CBO), health‐system leaders, and policy makers.
The objective of engagement work was to define a research agenda addressing the needs of medically and socially complex patients. We accomplished this through supporting cross-stakeholder communication and using data collection methods including nominal group technique (NGT), individual interviews, and stakeholder meetings to build an improved understanding of the varying perspectives of key stakeholders.The engagement process defined an agreed upon set of health-related conditions felt to be of high priority to multiple stakeholders involved in the care of medically and socially complex patients. The disparities identified in the mediation of barriers and the opportunities for change provide important guidance towards next steps in developing interventions that effectively identify and provide integrated and augmented pathways of care for medically and socially complex patients.