Two years after a disappointing RCT in Camden: Reassessing value and building ecosystems of care

On January 9, 2020, the results of a randomized controlled trial (RCT) published in the New England Journal of Medicine created the impression that the high-touch care management model we developed at the Camden Coalition didn’t actually help our clients: people with complex health and social needs. In a Health Affairs blog post published that same day, I shared that, while the RCT findings were disappointing, we were committed to learning from the trial.

Two years and one pandemic later, we understand that our previous definition of success minimized the ways in which our model can improve the lives of those we serve. We are now leaning into what we see as an iterative and long-term process of building ecosystems of care in partnership with health systems, other community organizations, and residents themselves. This work is guided by a new strategic plan and builds on our many years of experience in advancing health equity and addressing social determinants of poor health.