Team Performance and Risk-Adjusted Health Outcomes in the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE)

Abstract

The Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) is a community-based program providing primary, acute, and long-term care to frail elderly individuals. A central component of the PACE model is the interdisciplinary care team, which includes both professionals and non-professionals. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between the team's overall performance and the risk-adjusted health outcomes of program enrollees. The study included interdisciplinary teams in 26 PACE programs and 3,401 individuals enrolled in them. We combined information about individuals' health, functional, and mental status from DataPACE with an overall measure of team performance. We used multivariate regression techniques to test the hypothesis that better team performance is associated with better risk-adjusted health outcomes: survival and short-term (within 3 months of enrollment) and long-term (within 12 months of enrollment) improvements in functional status and in urinary incontinence. Team performance was significantly associated with better functional outcomes (both short and long term) and with better long-term urinary incontinence outcomes. There was no significant association with survival. This study provides empirical evidence for the relationship between team performance and patient outcomes in long-term care. It suggests that PACE programs can improve patient outcomes by improving the functioning of care teams.