Impact of the COVID Pandemic on KP Members with Complex Medical and Social Needs

The COVID epidemic has exposed the fragility of the social network that supports our most complex and vulnerable members. We have established an interdisciplinary team of researchers, clinicians, and operational leaders at KPNC, KPCO, KPWA to study socially determined barriers to care among adult members with complex medical & social needs. Among these patients, we propose to: 1) examine the role of self-reported barriers (e.g. financial need, housing instability, social isolation, frailty) on risk of COVID infection; 2) among COVID infected patients, examine the role of these barriers on disease severity; 3) examine the impact of social distancing & KP care re-organization on chronic medical & mental health care, and 4) re-contact previously interviewed complex patients to investigate in the impact of social distancing & KP care re-organization on their health and care. Results will help inform new care strategies for our most vulnerable members with complex medical and social needs.

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