Stories of Wellness Inspired by a Comprehensive Health Assessment: Helping save lives with at-home diagnostics

We are often told what makes Matrix different is our compassionate care and conversational approach. It is what we strive to offer but it is also who our clinicians are – down-to-earth and passionate about helping people maintain their health and wellness.

And so part of what our clinicians appreciate when conducting Matrix’s Comprehensive Health Assessment (CHA), is it affords them the time in private home environments to give members the undivided attention they deserve to discuss their health and address any social determinants of health (SDOH) factors that may be impacting their quality of life.

 One of our nurse practitioners (NP) conducted a CHA for a health plan member who said she hadn’t been feeling well for about a year. She had been experiencing lower leg discomfort and pain, but nothing had been discovered or diagnosed during routine check-ups.

Based on her symptoms, in addition to conducting the overall CHA health and safety review, the NP decided to also administer Matrix’s at-home PAD (Peripheral Artery Disease) test. The test results, which come back immediately, revealed the member did in fact have a diagnosis of PAD. PAD is a leading cause of amputations and individuals with the condition experience a decrease in quality of life due to the severe leg pain it causes. However, by identifying the disease, treatment can start, and long-term complications can potentially be prevented.

The NP facilitated a follow-up discussion between the member and her PCP, and from there she was referred for vascular surgery. Soon after, she had bilateral lower extremity stents placed.

The health plan member shared: “That young man saved my life. I am feeling much better and am happy that I agreed to have a wellness visit.”

The Matrix nurse practitioner shared: “After completing well over five thousand CHA visits within the past ten years, this visit gave me such a warm affirmation that we are saving lives!”

“During a CHA, our clinicians review members’ health and safety and identify and close care gaps. In 2021, over 16,000 CHA visits required urgent escalation to the member’s PCP. We are grateful for our clinicians located across the country doing what they do with kindness and expertise. Wellness visits are invaluable, particularly for preventive care.” – Ryan Heyborne, MD, MBA, FACEP, Matrix Chief Medical Officer.