NEJM Catalyst

The July issue of NEJM Catalyst Innovations in Care Delivery is now live: https://nej.md/3QMDUo2

Abe Sutton and Liz Fowler, two Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation directors, past and present, compare notes on how the center maintains its mission of making care more affordable and accountable through administration changes: https://nej.md/4vq2CtI

Patients leaving the hospital with severe infections requiring prolonged antibiotic treatment face significant risks without vigilant monitoring, especially where access to infectious disease specialists is limited.

At HealthPartners, care after discharge was historically disjointed and often left to primary care providers to coordinate. In 2023, the health system’s Antimicrobial Stewardship Program found 13 errors over 6 weeks across 5 hospitals, largely due to fragmented oversight and limited access to specialists.

In response, the health system established a centralized complex outpatient antibiotic therapy program in 2024 to support discharged patients. Patients receiving antibiotic therapy for more than 2 weeks after discharge were compared pre intervention and post intervention. The mean duration of therapy was significantly shorter post intervention (50.3 days vs. 34.7 days). The mean hospital length of stay was 1.2 days shorter, with an estimated cost saving of US$575,520.

A survey of hospital staff found that 96% reported increased confidence in patient care after the program was implemented. The cost of the necessary investments in structured oversight may be offset through reductions in hospital length of stay: https://nej.md/4uEs79k

NEJM Catalyst Insights Council members say home-based care now constitutes a growing aspect of care delivery, with an expanding range of services that patients receive at home. But payer reimbursement needs to catch up with this care model. Read the report: https://nej.md/4aQEPKS

The July 2026 issue of NEJM Catalyst shows how health care leaders and organizations are creating a better patient experience, improving population health, lowering the cost of care, and boosting provider well-being. Read the letter from the Editors: https://nej.md/44idP3f

In the July issue: hospital transfers, outpatient antibiotic therapy, pediatric care quality, pediatric cardiac care, musculoskeletal care costs, frontline clinician support, patient portals, an AI digital assistant, and home-based care.

📖 View the issue: https://nej.md/3QMDUo2

💡 From the Editors: Health Care’s Quadruple Aim in Action https://nej.md/44idP3f

🏡 Insights Report: Home-Based Care Has Arrived https://nej.md/4aQEPKS

💊 In Depth: Creating a Coordinated Complex Outpatient Antibiotic Therapy Program to Improve Outcomes and Reduce Costs in a Multihospital System https://nej.md/4uEs79k

🥼 Case Study: The Blue Coats Program to Improve and Sustain Workforce Well-Being https://nej.md/4a2iWIi

🤖 Case Study: Blueprint for Safety: Implementing a Clinically Governed AI Digital Assistant for Patient Guidance https://nej.md/3QI44Za

🚑 Case Study: The Procedure-Only Transfer Pathway — An Alternative to Standard Interhospital Transfer to Address Time-Sensitive Procedural Needs https://nej.md/3Ql7pgG

🩻 Case Study: Improving Musculoskeletal Costs of Care Using a Virtual Integrated Practice Unit: A Claims-Based Analysis https://nej.md/4a54Wxt

👧 Article: The National Pediatric Readiness Quality Initiative: Empowering Emergency Departments to Improve Pediatric Care https://nej.md/4epIznD

👫 Article: An Agenda to Support Care Partner Engagement through the Patient Portal https://nej.md/4xsQlpL

🧒 Article: Frugal Innovations for Delivering Child Cardiac Care in India https://nej.md/4uHDBsO

Narrative Medicine — Storytelling to Connect People, Purpose, and Progress in Health Care Strategy https://t.co/ek9C6iu0Kf

A Structured Deterioration Response Program across a Multihospital System to Reduce Inpatient Mortality https://nej.md/4tHGUiY

Impact of a Clinic- and Mail-Based Cervical Cancer Human Papillomavirus Self-Collect Screening Program https://nej.md/4fwFlRr

Why and How to Monitor Deployed AI Systems in Health Care https://nej.md/3PzjPB9