The effects of interdisciplinary outpatient geriatrics on the use, costs and quality of health services in the fee-for-service environment.

Background And Aims: To evaluate the effect of interdisciplinary outpatient geriatrics on the use, cost, and quality of health services in a fee-for-service (FFS) environment of two networks of primary care clinics operated by a not-for-profit provider organization in Dallas County, Texas.

Methods: The Senior Health Network (SHN) provides interdisciplinary primary care to patients aged 55 years or older; the Health Texas Provider Network (HTPN) provides "usual" primary care to patients of all ages. We conducted a two-year retrospective cohort study of 13,098 fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries who had 2+ visits to one of the networks in 2000.

Effectiveness of diabetes resource nurse case management and physician profiling in a fee-for-service setting: a cluster randomized trial.

Nurses with advanced training-diabetes resource nurses (DRNs)-can improve care for people with diabetes in capitated payment settings. Their effectiveness in fee-for-service settings has not been investigated. We conducted a 12-month practice-randomized trial involving 22 practices in a fee-for-service metropolitan network with 92 primary care physicians caring for 1891 Medicare patients ≥65 years with diabetes mellitus.

Differences in end-of-life preferences between congestive heart failure and dementia in a medical house calls program.

Objectives: To compare end-of-life preferences in elderly individuals with dementia and congestive heart failure (CHF).

Design: Retrospective case-control study.

Setting: Geriatrician-led interdisciplinary house-call program using an electronic medical record.