From 2014–2017, the Camden Coalition partnered with researchers affiliated with J-PAL North America to measure the impact of the Camden Coalition’s care management program, the Camden Core Model, on hospital readmission rates.

The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, showed similar readmission rates in the control and intervention groups at 180 days. The study also found that the Camden Core Model was associated with increased SNAP participation.

We are actively building on this research by examining the impact of the Camden Core Model on additional outcome measures and sub-populations. We are also continuing to build partnerships designed to reduce barriers to care and curb unnecessary hospital utilization among those with the most complex needs. These efforts, along with insights from the study, are contributing to a more evidence-based field of complex care.

These results highlight that complex care cannot be accomplished alone. Strengthening ecosystems of care — including social services, behavioral health, public health, community-based organizations, and government agencies — to serve people with complex health and social needs is the path forward. And while it is essential to serve people whose needs are not being met right now, investment in economic and social opportunity is key to preventing future complexity. These results send a powerful message to the community and policymakers: short-term healthcare interventions alone cannot remedy lifetimes of complexity.

The RCT has also fueled our efforts to develop better ways to measure the impacts of complex care programs on the lives of participants and their communities.