Health and Human Services
Over the last 20 years, Matrix has completed over 1,000 health and human services projects in Europe and globally. The US shares many of the same healthcare challenges that confront other nations. If costs are to be contained, health care systems must change focus — from treating illness to promoting wellness. This will require significant policy and operational changes, as well as new priorities for investment. Policies that prioritize investment in public health interventions – such as smoking cessation, obesity prevention, and exercise promotion – have already been identified as critical to US healthcare reform. These wellness challenges, as well as the need to more effectively manage chronic conditions, have been a focus of Matrix’s work in recent years.
Improving outcomes for special populations
| Recent Project: | Evaluation of Innovation in Services for Special Populations |
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| Client: | UK Cabinet Office UK Department of Communities and Local Government |
| Timeframe: | 2007 – 2010 |
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When special populations with significant and complex health needs overuse high-cost, low-volume social services, they undercut cost-effective provision of health and human services. Matrix has extensive experience supporting policy makers, payers and providers in integrating care pathways to improve service delivery for these populations while helping providers improve cost-effectiveness.
Case management is a recognized way to coordinate service delivery in health and human services. Yet, case management can be particularly challenging for special populations, such as the chronically homeless or young people leaving foster care. These populations often have multiple and concurrent needs. Matrix undertook a three-year evaluation of a 12-site pilot program that tested different models of service delivery and case management for a number of special populations.
To support the program and the evaluation, Matrix used its AspiraHub software to develop a web-based tool for evaluation and performance reporting. This ongoing project focuses on identifying best practices and determining whether a case management approach can lead to material savings for high-cost health and human services such as foster care, emergency housing, and emergency room visits.
Driving healthcare reform via performance management and informatics
| Recent Projects: | Developed a Board of Directors performance dashboard Integrated patient records for general practice |
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| Clients: | UK Primary Care Trust (Eastern England) UK Primary Care Trust (London) UK (Midlands) General Practitioner Consortium |
| Timeframe: | 2008 – 2009 |
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Effective information sharing among health agencies improves the quality of the patient experience and the efficiency of the provider. Matrix’s web-based informatics provides data collation, analysis, and reporting services to local healthcare purchasers and providers. Web-based publication and collaboration systems enable stakeholders across local health partnerships to share information among organizations and healthcare settings. These informatics tools help support collaboration and communication among practitioners as services move from hospital-based to community-based settings.
Matrix’s AspiraHub software gives managers and executives of purchasing organizations (payers) online access to corporate and clinical governance dashboards and data reports to improve governance and risk management. In addition, Matrix software has been used to develop an integrated longitudinal primary care based patient record. This enables primary care physicians to proactively target specific individuals – especially those with chronic conditions – for clinical interventions.
Evidence-based prioritization of health and human services investments
| Recent Projects: | Prioritizing Investment in Public Health Economic Analysis of Interventions to Reduce Health Inequalities Economic Analysis of Interventions to Improve the Use of Smoking Cessation Programs Economic Analysis of Interventions to Improve the Use of Statins for Disadvantaged Populations Health England Prioritization Tool – click here to find out more. |
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| Clients: | UK National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) Health England – Governmental Reference Group for Health and Well-being |
| Timeframe: | 2007 – present |
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The UK’s National Health Service has relied on Matrix throughout its modernization efforts, from the beginning of the market reforms of the 1980s to the most recent national review by Lord Darzi in 2008.
Our Rapid Evidence Assessments (REAs) have provided decision makers with extensive evidence on where and how to prioritize investments, with a particular focus on disadvantaged populations. Our reviews have identified evidence of effectiveness, and cost effectiveness, for over 40 public health interventions. These REAs use state-of-the-art economic modeling to provide concise, clear, current information to healthcare purchasers about the relative benefits of different public health interventions and to inform resource allocation decisions.