Telephone Support Cut Hospitalization

In a world dominated by technology-assisted social networking such as Facebook and Twitter, old-fashioned communication can be surprisingly effective. People with complicated medical conditions such as heart failure, diabetes and asthma were offered telephone support. Nurses, pharmacists, dietitians and respiratory therapists served as the health coaches. People who got enhanced support were less likely to be hospitalized and had lower overall health care costs than those in the usual care group. The investigators concluded, “A targeted telephone care-management program was successful in reducing medical costs and hospitalizations.”
[New England Journal of Medicine, Sept. 23, 2010]