WOONSOCKET, R.I. — CVS Specialty is expanding its patient-centered approach beyond medication access by helping patients address social and economic challenges that can make it harder to manage chronic and complex conditions.
CVS Specialty CareTeams connect patients with community organizations and resources that can assist with needs such as food insecurity, housing instability and financial hardship. The company says addressing these social determinants of health can help patients remain on therapy and improve long-term outcomes.
Social determinants of health, including housing, nutrition and economic stability, can influence health outcomes by up to 50%, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
CVS Specialty clinicians can identify some of those challenges through direct interactions with patients. Diane Brighton, pulmonary arterial hypertension nurse clinical coordinator at CVS Specialty, spends much of her week visiting patients in their homes, where she can see barriers that may not be apparent from clinical records.
Patients may need assistance with paying for groceries or utilities, or with obtaining items that support the management of their condition, such as a scale to monitor their weight.
Once a need is identified, CVS Specialty CareTeams use a resource-connection platform to match patients with community organizations that can provide assistance.
“It’s more than just providing a phone number—we’re helping connect patients to the right resources for their specific situation,” Brighton said.
CVS Specialty said the approach allows its CareTeams to provide more personalized, whole-person care while reducing nonmedical barriers that can interfere with treatment.
Submit Your Press Release
Have news to share? Send us your press releases and announcements.
Send Press Release
