Rapid reengineering of acute medical care for Medicare beneficiaries: the Medicare innovations collaborative.

In 2009 we described a geriatric service line or "portfolio" model of acute care-based models to improve care and reduce costs for high-cost Medicare beneficiaries with multiple chronic conditions. In this article we report the early results of the Medicare Innovations Collaborative, a collaborative program of technical assistance and peer-to-peer exchange to promote the simultaneous adoption of multiple complex care models by hospitals and health systems. We found that organizations did in fact adopt and implement multiple complex care models simultaneously; that these care models were appropriately integrated and adapted so as to enhance their adoptability within the hospital or health care system; and that these processes occurred rapidly, in less than one year. Members indicated that the perceived prestige of participation in the collaborative helped create incentives for change among their systems' leaders and was one of the top two reasons for success. The Medicare Innovations Collaborative approach can serve as a model for health service delivery change, ultimately expanding beyond the acute care setting and into the community and often neglected postacute and long-term care arenas to redesign care for high-cost Medicare beneficiaries.

Chronically ill mothers experiencing pain: relational coping strategies used while parenting young children.

OBJECTIVE: There has been little research on women who are parenting while they experience pain and none of this research has focused on mothers with young children. The purpose of this study was to consider relational coping strategies generated by mothers that they used when parenting young children and experiencing pain. METHODS: Two-hundred sixty-two mothers participated in this survey research; 171 who have either multiple sclerosis (MS) or rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and a comparison group of 91well mothers. Mothers completed questionnaires inquiring about (a) their coping strategies, (b) levels of pain, fatigue and physical functioning, and (c) if they were currently experiencing an exacerbation of their chronic illness. RESULTS: Well mothers reported using more self-care when parenting while experiencing pain. Mothers with RA were more likely to set boundaries around their behaviour. Women with MS who were experiencing an exacerbation changed their coping strategies to include more child activities and encourage more mature child behaviour when compared to women with RA who were experiencing an exacerbation. DISCUSSION: From the perspective of relational coping theory, mothers consider their own pain while simultaneously attending to their responsibilities as a parent. Previous research has suggested that women may withdraw or reduce their parenting activities when they are in pain and this study supported the previous research, especially for women with RA.