Impact of the CommunityRx Program on Health, Service Utilization and Costs

The CommunityRx system generates patient-centered e-prescriptions for community services
(HealtheRx) via an interface between the electronic health records (EHR) and a comprehensive
community resource database. Based on a patient's diagnoses, a HealtheRx will be printed
automatically at the end of the ambulatory care visit and will provide patients with a
customized map and/or list of places in their community that provide health and social
services as well as contact information for a local community health worker who can provide
limited case management support. The CommunityRx program aims to promote: 1) better
healthcare, 2) better health, and 3) lower cost. The purpose of this research is to
systematically evaluate the impact of CommunityRx on health outcomes as well as health care
service utilization and total cost of care for Medicaid, Medicare and other beneficiaries.
The investigators hypothesize that beneficiaries who participate in the CommunityRx
intervention will experience better healthcare, better health and lower total cost of care.