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BLOOMINGTON, Minn., Nov. 30, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A three-year initiative funded by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) indicates that a collaborative care management model improves the outcomes of patients with uncontrolled depression, diabetes and/or heart disease. The COMPASS (Care Of Mental, Physical And Substance-use Syndromes) initiative spread this care model among 18 medical groups, 171 clinics and 3,300 clinicians in eight states.

The Institute for Clinical Systems Improvement (ICSI), an independent, nonprofit health care improvement organization, led this recently completed initiative with partners Community Health Plan of Washington; Kaiser Permanente Colorado; Kaiser Permanente Southern California; Mayo Clinic Health System; Michigan Center for Clinical Systems Improvement; Mount Auburn Cambridge Independent Practice Association (Massachusetts); Pittsburgh Regional Health Initiative; AIMS (Advancing Integrated Mental Health Solutions) Center at the University of Washington, and HealthPartners Institute for Education and Research.

The results achieved, while still preliminary, are noteworthy. For patients enrolled more than four months, we exceeded the project's original goals of a 40 percent improvement in depression control and a 20 percent improvement in diabetes and hypertension control. Six papers have been submitted to peer reviewed journals for review.

A key outcome of this work is the publicly available Intervention Guide that provides the clinical workflow and supporting information for primary care systems interested in implementing COMPASS. This guide, available on the ICSI website, includes evidence, best practices, and links to recommended tools. One reviewer commented, "…This will prove to be an incredibly useful document for future implementation and [is an] excellent example of practical 'lessons learned.'"

"The COMPASS model was implemented and spread across medical groups with differing organizational structures, cultures and care delivery processes," says Sanne Magnan, MD, PhD, president and CEO of ICSI. "With the help of these tools and resources developed by COMPASS partners, this and similar models could be implemented broadly across the country, helping the health care community take an important step toward addressing the whole person and creating better outcomes."

Learn more about the COMPASS initiative on the ICSI website.

The Institute for Clinical Systems Improvement (ICSI) is an independent, nonprofit health care improvement organization based in Minnesota that is a collaboration of medical groups, hospitals, nonprofit health plans, employers, and consumers working to bring innovation and urgency to improve health, the patient experience and quality, and affordability of care (the Triple Aim).

The project described was supported by Grant Number 1C1CMS331048-01-00 from the Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. The contents of this press release are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services or any of its agencies. The research presented here was conducted by the awardee. Findings might or might not be consistent with or confirmed by the findings of the independent evaluation contractor.

SOURCE Institute for Clinical Systems Improvement