April 25, 2010

Redesigning Specialty Care in Community Clinics: A California Case Study

The California HealthCare Foundation published their report on their case study titled Redesigning Specialty Care in Community Clinics: A California Case Study. In their case study, researchers focused on how access to specialty care for low-income, minority, and immigrant patients is related to health outcomes. They found that access to specialty care, especially for those people aforementioned is an issue of critical importance. As the population ages and demand for specialty resources increases, expanding primary care resources is essential. They found that an effective model for improving patient access to specialty care couples payment reform with improvements in and expansion of the score of primary care, as well as in the efficiency of the specialty referral process.