A report from Accenture describes results from a survey of patient preferences regarding medical products.
The Government Accounting Office reports on initial results from the Medicare competitive bidding program for durable medical equipment, finding that it appeared to have succeeded in reducing spending, while not unduly affecting beneficiary access.
Its March and spring nears; our Potpourri blooms with nuggets of health care information, including comparative regulation of medical devices in the US and Europe, do physicians always truthful with patients, CMS’ oversight of home health care agencies, the validity of a CMS’ measure of ER scanning, and patient-centered care.
This week’s Potpourri focuses on the cost of robotic surgery, the benefits of aspirin compared to more expensive drugs, the benefits of fitness club use, what states and specialties are responsible for the SGR overrun, and the performance of safety-net hospitals on ER quality measures.
The Government Accountability Office issues a report on use of implantable medical devices in hospitals, finding that they pay widely varying prices, suggesting that it is often too much, some of which ends getting paid by taxpayers.
A new paper at the National Bureau of Economic Research examines the relationship between technology and spending growth in health care. While no firm conclusions are reached, a country’s willingness to spend on health may drive technology development and use rather than vice versa.