Current approaches to improving the value of care: a physician's perspective

Current approaches to improving the value of care: a physician's perspective

Collection:
Health Policy and Services Research
Contributor(s):
Beckman, Howard B.
Mahoney, Thomas.
Greene, Robert A., M.D
Commonwealth Fund.
Publication:
[New York, N.Y.] : Commonwealth Fund, [2007]
Language(s):
English
Format:
Text
Subject(s):
Cost Control -- methods
Health Care Costs
Physician Incentive Plans
Quality Assurance, Health Care -- economics
United States
Genre(s):
Technical Report
Abstract:
Payers are seeking new ways to bring rapidly increasing health care costs under control. In the past five years, health plans have implemented a variety of programs, the most visible of which have been pay-for-performance, public reporting (PR), consumer-directed health plans (CDHP), and tiering. This paper reviews the emerging concerns about measurement programs generally and specific assessments of the above four types in particular. The authors express considerable concern about the utility of programs focused on judgment (PR, CDHP, and tiering). As an alternative, they encourage the use of programs focused on quality improvement. Judgment-based programs undermine collaboration among stakeholders, making it more difficult to implement the system-wide changes that are needed to significantly improve the value of care. Quality-improvement approaches, tied to incentives and accountability, offer a more constructive model for an effective and efficient health care system.
Copyright:
Reproduced with permission of the copyright holder. Further use of the material is subject to CC BY license. (More information)
Illustrations:
Illustrations
NLM Unique ID:
101468870 (See catalog record)
Permanent Link:
http://resource.nlm.nih.gov/101468870