Rules to identify and record information on family caregivers, and incentives to encourage providers to engage with family caregivers, could help overcome communication barriers and trust issues between informal and formal caregivers, according to a newly released RAND Corp. study: “A Framework for Integrating Family Caregivers into the Health Care Team.” Researchers interviewed payers, providers and caregiver advocates.
Also needed, researchers said, are an investment in programs that provide supportive services for family caregivers; expansion of access to, and funding for, care coordinators to support family caregivers; implementation of training programs for providers and caregivers; and the development of technologies that foster caregiver-provider care integration and information-sharing.
Recent changes in the U.S. healthcare system and payment models have increased opportunities for integrating family caregivers into care teams, according to the report. “For example, the growth in value-based payment models, which hold a healthcare delivery system and payers accountable for both the quality and cost of care, has led to a reassessment of which factors improve quality and provides new opportunities for recognizing the work of caregivers,” the authors wrote.
An estimated 53 million family and friends serve as unpaid caregivers to loved ones, an increase of 9.5 million caregivers from 2015 to 2020. They assist with activities of daily living such as eating, bathing, dressing, driving and taking medications. Their regular interactions allow them to monitor changes in health and care needs on a more regular basis than would be possible for formal healthcare providers, the authors said.
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