A hospital system in Pennsylvania says it reduced medical costs by 7% by changing the way it delivers care.
Executives at Geisinger Health System, Danville, Pa., are reporting in the September/October issue of the health finance journal Health Affairs that it achieved the savings by creating a "patient-centered medical home" for patients.
The changes included offering 24-hour access both to primary and specialty care, and giving both doctors and patients access to electronic health records.
The researchers have based their cost savings estimates on results from a 1-year pilot program.
In addition reducing total costs 7%, the program reduced hospital admissions by 20%, the researchers estimate.
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