Freakonomics, M.D.

51. What Can We Do About the Hardest Patients?

Aug 26, 2022
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ANECDOTE

Dr. Brenner's Camden Observations

  • Dr. Brenner worked in Camden, NJ, and noticed patients with injuries from violence rarely reported their crimes.
  • He used hospital data to understand crime and found a small group of patients with chronic conditions using many resources.
INSIGHT

Complexity in Healthcare

  • Complex patients with multiple conditions often receive conflicting advice and inadequate care.
  • Patients with one or two medical problems get decent care, but three or more leads to system breakdown.
ANECDOTE

Camden Coalition's Approach

  • Brenner's Camden Coalition used data to identify and intervene with complex patients to improve their health and reduce spending.
  • Early results showed improvement, but they were based on pre-post analysis, not a randomized controlled trial.
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