Rising Risk: An Overview of Identification and Intervention Approaches

This brief, produced by JSI with support from Blue Shield of California Foundation, explores the concept of rising risk in the health field. Given that it is well understood that a small group of “familiar faces” consume a disproportionate percentage of healthcare resources (the top 5% of patients are responsible for more than 50% of utilization), it follows that identifying risk in the population early and intervening effectively has the potential to save resources and improve health outcomes. The growing emphasis on efficiency and value, a new set of data collection and analysis tools, and the recognition that uncoordinated, after-the-fact response is not optimal all support a focus on rising-risk populations.