Publications by authors named "Isabelle Heymans"
Background: The Belgium medical home (MH) model, which has been garnering support of late, resembles its US counterpart in that it aims at improving the quality of health care while containing costs.
Objectives: To compare the quality of care offered by MHs with that offered by traditional individual practices (IPs) in Belgium in terms of the extent of their adherence to clinical practice guidelines in antibiotherapy, cervical-cancer screening, influenza vaccination, and the management of diabetes.
Research Design: This is a retrospective study using public insurance claims data.
Article Synopsis
- The study analyzes health care expenditures in Belgium, comparing patients using medical homes (MHs) with those using individual practices (IPs), focusing on costs covered by compulsory social insurance.
- Findings indicate that overall expenditures are similar for both groups, but MH users incur higher primary care costs, which are balanced by savings in secondary care, medications, and inpatient care.
- Additionally, MHs serve a younger and more disadvantaged demographic, suggesting they could effectively improve primary care access while reallocating health spending.