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UCLA study shows link between healthcare training and reduced Medicaid costs

Staff Development Weekly: Insight on Evidence-Based Practice in Education, April 23, 2004

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Training Head Start parents to manage their children's ailments can significantly reduce Medicaid costs according to a study recently published by the UCLA/Johnson & Johnson Healthcare Institute. Educating 12,000 parents on afflictions such as minor fevers or colds could save Medicaid nearly $2.4 million annually in avoidable costs related to emergency department (ED) and clinic visits. Statistics show that after the Institute's training sessions, the participants' number of ED visits dropped by 48 percent, and trips to clinics were reduced by 37.5 percent. The program provides parents with medical reference guides to improve their health literacy and increase their confidence in caring for ill children. 90 percent of parents surveyed after the training reported that they used the reference guide, and 84 percent were more comfortable caring for a sick child. Program officials are optimistic about the training's potential to deflate Medicaid costs nationwide.           

Source: PR Newswire

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