University of Pennsylvania and The Ohio State University Collaborate with FAIR Health on Groundbreaking Initiative on Shared Decision Making with Older Adults
May 16, 2024
As part of a national initiative generously supported by The John A. Hartford Foundation (JAHF), FAIR Health is collaborating with recognized Age-Friendly Health Systems clinical sites at the University of Pennsylvania and The Ohio State University, in a groundbreaking effort that will yield critical insights regarding point-of-care use of healthcare engagement and shared decision-making (SDM) tools available on FAIR Health for Older Adults (FAIRHealthOlderAdults.org). Two other institutions with clinical sites achieving Age-Friendly Health Systems recognition are also expected to participate.
The innovative collaborations with the University of Pennsylvania and The Ohio State University mark a significant milestone in the use and evaluation of tools designed to facilitate healthcare engagement and SDM discussions with cost information among clinicians, older patients and, if relevant, their caregivers. The collaboration, a chief component of FAIR Health’s effort to disseminate and evaluate the tools, complements the national creative Healthy Decisions for Healthy Aging campaign, which since its launch in January 2024 has publicized FAIR Health for Older Adults among older patients and family caregivers.
Under a prior JAHF-funded planning grant, FAIR Health launched the user-friendly healthcare engagement tools, including SDM tools combining clinical and cost information, educational articles and resources for older adults and family caregivers available on FAIR Health for Older Adults. Building on the success of the planning grant, under the current initiative clinicians at the four Age-Friendly Health Systems sites will use FAIR Health’s suite of SDM tools that uniquely combine clinical care and cost information powered by FAIR Health data to engage in SDM discussions with patients and family caregivers and care partners. Patients will also receive FH® Total Treatment cost tools, which show bundled costs for a year of care for chronic conditions or for acute events, as well as printed toolkits with actionable checklists and educational articles. Through surveys and qualitative discussions with older patients, family caregivers and healthcare providers, FAIR Health will evaluate the use of the tools in clinical settings and publish the findings to help inform micro- and macro-level discussions and considerations regarding the paired use of such healthcare engagement and SDM tools with cost information in clinical settings.
Clinicians at the Abramson Cancer Center at Pennsylvania Hospital, part of Penn Medicine—recognized as an Age-Friendly Health Systems Committed to Care Excellence site, and the first site to commence activities under the initiative—are using FAIR Health’s SDM tool for early-stage breast cancer. Mary Pat Lynch, DNP, RN, AOCN, NEA-BC, Administrative Director of the Cancer Service Line at Pennsylvania Hospital and the Abramson Cancer Center at Pennsylvania Hospital, Penn Medicine, and Sarah H. Kagan, PhD, RN, Professor of Gerontological Nursing in the School of Nursing, said: “The team at the Abramson Cancer Center at Pennsylvania Hospital, which is part of Penn Medicine, are pleased to collaborate with FAIR Health in evaluating the use of its shared decision-making tool with early-stage breast cancer patients. Learning about the estimated costs of care for any cancer is important in achieving shared decision making between patients, especially older adults who may utilize more healthcare services, and their providers.”
The Ohio State University Neuropsychology Clinic provides outpatient evaluation services and serves adults and geriatric patients with a range of conditions, including memory disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease. Its team of neuropsychologists take a transdisciplinary approach to care through close collaboration with providers at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and The James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute, whose Cancer and Aging Resiliency Clinic is recognized as an Age-Friendly Health Systems Committed to Care Excellence site. The Neuropsychology Clinic is using FAIR Health’s SDM tools for hip osteoarthritis, dialysis and type 2 diabetes as well as TTC tools for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, major depression and ADHD.
Christopher Nguyen, PhD, ABPP, Director of Neuropsychology in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health and Director of the Office of Geriatrics and Gerontology at The Ohio State University, stated: “The Ohio State University’s participation in FAIR Health’s initiative underscores our dedication to fostering a healthcare system that prioritizes patient-centered care. We’re excited to help evaluate these groundbreaking tools that can help support clinicians in providing personalized, age-friendly care for older adult patients—truly focusing on what matters to our patients.”
The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center is a participating clinical site. Nothing herein is to be construed as an endorsement by OSU of any service or product.
Institutions interested in using FAIR Health’s tools and resources with their older patients can contact Gee Kim, FAIR Health Clinical and Research Outreach Liaison, at gkim@fairhealth.org.