Objectives. To test the effect of CommunityRx, a scalable, low-intensity intervention that matches patients to community resources, on mental health-related quality of life (HRQOL) (primary outcome), physical HRQOL, and confidence in finding resources.
Methods. A real-world trial assigned publicly insured residents of Chicago, Illinois, aged 45 to 74 years to an intervention (n = 209) or control (n = 202) group by alternating calendar week, December 2015 to August 2016. Intervention group participants received usual care and an electronic medical record–generated, personalized list of community resources. Surveys (baseline, 1-week, 1- and 3-months) measured HRQOL and confidence in finding community resources to manage health.
Results. At 3 months, there was no difference between groups in mental (–1.03; 95% confidence interval [CI] = −3.02, 0.96) or physical HRQOL (0.59; 95% CI = −0.98, 2.16). Confidence in finding resources was higher in the intervention group (odds ratio = 2.08; 95% CI = 1.18, 3.63); the effect increased at each successive time point. Among intervention group participants, 65% recalled receiving the intervention; 48% shared community resource information with others.
Conclusions. CommunityRx did not increase HRQOL, but its positive effect on confidence in finding resources for self-care suggests that this low-intensity intervention may have a role in population health promotion.
Trial Registration. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02435511.
- Stacy Tessler Lindau is with the Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Medicine-Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL. Jennifer A. Makelarski, Emily M. Abramsohn, and Kelly Boyd are with the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The University of Chicago. David G. Beiser is with the Department of Medicine, Section of Emergency Medicine, The University of Chicago. Chiahung Chou is with the Department of Health Outcomes Research and Policy, Auburn University, Auburn, AL. Mihai Giurcanu, Chuanhong Liao, and L. Philip Schumm are with the Department of Public Health Sciences, The University of Chicago. Elbert S. Huang and Elizabeth L. Tung are with the Department of Medicine, Section of General Internal Medicine, The University of Chicago.
