What is the effectiveness of population health management in improving health delivery, health outcomes, and reducing inequalities? A rapid review  

This rapid review was conducted as part of the Evidence Service’s collaboration with Heath and Care Research Wales

Next update: Update not planned

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Introduction

This rapid review was conducted by the Evidence Service in collaboration with Health and Care Research Wales Evidence Centre. The aim of the rapid review was to identify the effectiveness of population health management in improving healthcare delivery, health outcomes, and reducing inequalities. 

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Main points

How up to date is this evidence?

Searches were conducted in September 2025, and included studies published between 2018 and 2025.  

What we found

• We identified three studies evaluating the effectiveness of a population health management approach overall, and also four studies assessing the effectiveness of specific interventions designed using a population health manage approach 

• Overall, the evidence for studies assessing the effectiveness of the population health management approaches revealed a mixed picture, likely due to the heterogeneity of the study aims and target populations.  

• Evidence suggests specific interventions designed using a PHM approach can lead to increased service delivery, reduced healthcare utilisation, improved health outcomes, and were generally well accepted by participants. However, the specific interventions had varying aims for different population groups.  
• However, all findings were reported by low-quality studies making our confidence in the findings overall low and highlighting the need for further evidence. 

What this means

• Population health management is a broad approach that can be implemented in various ways and at different levels of the healthcare system, depending on population needs and priorities. However, within the literature the impacts of the different population health management components are poorly reported, making it challenging to determine the effectiveness of this approach overall.  

• There was a lack of high-quality, particularly UK based, evidence.  

• Studies were aimed at specific population groups, and were primarily conducted in the USA, which may affect the transferability of the findings due to differences in (i) healthcare systems, (ii) patient demographics, and (iii) service availability. 

• Economic evaluations should consider changes in healthcare resource use and associated costs of implementing population health management alongside measures of effectiveness. 

• Further research is needed to draw firm conclusions. 

Technical information

An abbreviated systematic review methodology was used to conduct this rapid review to provide a synthesis of the available evidence in a timely manner whilst maintaining attention to bias. We searched for primary studies looking at population health management.

Glossary

Population health management is an approach that aims to improve health and reduce health inequalities by data-informed planning and delivery of proactive care. It uses linked datasets to identify ‘at-risk’ populations to target with tailored interventions that deliver proactive and proportionate care.

Stakeholders

Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, Wales, UK