An emerging form of primary care using high-intensity attention to at-risk patients has shown to be effective in the small number of settings where they have been tried, according to a research brief from the Center for Studying Health System Change and the National Institute for Health Care Reform.

The high-intensity primary-care approach, also called ambulatory intensive care, is similar to a medical home except the patients are selected from the larger pool of patients as needing specialized management and care, according to the brief.

The researchers examined six high-intensity programs and concluded that the broader success of the approach is dependent on getting physicians and patients on board. “Early assessments of high-intensity primary care programs show promise, but engaging physicians and patients will be key to whether these programs succeed more broadly in improving quality and lowering costs,” Tracy Yee, HSC researcher and coauthor of the study, said in a news release.

Payers and purchasers of health insurance also are important because they must be willing to pay and reimburse for care differently than what they are accustomed to, according to the brief.

The National Institute for Health Reform was created by the UAW, the Chrysler Group, Ford Motor Co. and General Motors to conduct health policy research and analyses.