VillageMD's VBC Model and Effectiveness
This analysis examines how primary care visit cadence is associated with hospitalization outcomes among high-risk populations in value-based care.
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FastHSR resource note with source citation.
Study methods
- Design: retrospective cohort study using Medicare Advantage claims plus clinic records.
- Setting: 14 primary care clinics in Houston, Texas.
- Study period: July 2019 to June 2021, with the first year used as baseline.
- High-risk focus: patients with CHF and/or COPD in a quarterly-visit engagement program.
- Cadence definition: high cadence = visits in at least 3 quarters; low cadence = 2 or fewer quarters.
- Sample: 1,342 high-risk patients (plus 4,981 usual-care patients for secondary analysis).
- Outcome: admissions per thousand (ADK), with adjusted regression for risk and patient characteristics.
Key findings
- Low-cadence patients showed increased hospital admissions year-over-year.
- High-cadence patients had flatter or lower hospitalization rates in most risk strata.
- Adjusted analyses supported a statistically significant association between higher cadence and lower admissions.
Method interpretation
This is a real-world, program-level analysis rather than a randomized trial. That means it is highly useful for operational decisions, while still requiring careful interpretation for causal claims—especially given pandemic-era disruptions during part of the study window.
Source citation
Matsil A, Shenfeld D, Fields C, Yao A, Clair J. Primary Care Visit Cadence and Hospital Admissions in High-Risk Patients. The American Journal of Managed Care. 2024;30(6):263-269. doi:10.37765/ajmc.2024.89509.
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