A prospective, randomized, controlled trial of self-care educational interventions was conducted in a health maintenance organization to determine their effect on ambulatory care utilization. Statistically significant decreases in total medical visits and minor illness visits were found in each of three experimental groups as compared with a control group. These decreases averaged 17% and 35%, respectively. These results were most clearly linked to a system of written communications emphasizing personal decision making about the use of medical care. The addition of a nurse counseling session to the written materials may increase cost savings and appears to be attractive to "high utilizers." A telephone information service was offered but not used. It is estimated that the decreases in utilization could result in a savings of approximately $2.50 to $3.50 for each dollar spent on the educational interventions. Self-care education systems may have important effects on medical care costs, physician satisfaction, and patient confidence. (JAMA1983;250:2952-2956)

Effect of a self-care education program on medical visits.

Self-Care: Lay Initiatives in Health

To determine the effect of a self-care communication-based health education program on ambulatory care utilization, a prospective, randomized, controlled trial was conducted with a Medicare population within a health maintenance organization. A statistically significant decrease of 15% in total medi

https://www.jstor.org/stable/info/3765534

The effect of self-care interventions on the use of medical service within a Medicare population.

Cost-benefit analysis of patient education

The effectiveness of medical self-care interventions: A focus on self-initiated responses to symptoms

The ability of a medical self-care program to have an impact on the utilization and cost of in-clinic and referral visits in a prepaid group practice was studied by following the medical encounter records of 900 HMO members in 217 families during a 12-month period. A control group selected by randomization after acceptance of an initial invitation to participate was employed. In spite of the program's impressive effect on both self-care knowledge and per-visit costs, the study could not demonstrate any significant program effect either on the frequency or on the total costs of clinic visits.

Donald W. Kemper

Papers

Self-care education: impact on HMO costs.