More health care tidbits in this week’s potpourri, including medication adherence; the benefits of workplace wellness programs; the costs to employers of obesity; hospital prices in Oregon; reimbursement methods for drugs and potential savings from health IT.
A recent survey and study examine physicians’ use of email to interact with their patients, finding very low rates of use, due to reimbursement and other concerns, as well as limited technical access. Expanded use could help reduce costs.
A medical device manufacturers’ trade association publishes sponsored research on the effect of GPOs on costs, concluding that hospitals would be better off to buy directly from the manufacturers or to restructure how GPOs are paid.
Health spending is high in the United States compared to other industrial countries. Quality, based on health outcomes such as survival or mortality, appears to be worse. A new article probes the reasons why, but may have some flaws.
Because of political considerations, medical malpractice and its health spending effects is a controversial topic. A recent issue of Health Affairs carried several articles on this topic.
There appears to be significant variation in per capita health spending around the United States. The low-cost areas could provide valuable lessons to the rest of the country and a NEJM perspective examines the experience of Grand Junction.
The regular weekend lineup of health care news, including doctors trying to limit nurse anesthetists’ practices; text messaging for teenager dermatitis patients; Hewitt’s cost projections for 2011; physicians and the internet; how to calculate MLRs and use of incentive pay for physicians.
Spurred by government funds and regulations, the medical world is rushing to implement electronic records and other functionality. The consequences may not always be great, as a recent study suggests.
There has been a major push to expand measurement of provider quality, as defined by process of care and outcomes. A study suggests that having good quality doesn’t necessarily mean patients will be more satisfied.
Enthusiasm abounds regarding new forms of physician encounters, such as phone, email and video visits. A pilot study from the Mayo Clinic suggests that such visits may reduce in-person encounters and save money.
Uwe Reinhardt is one of the wise old men of health care economics and policy. The New York Times has a recent blog column by him in which he reviews the perennial issues blocking real change in regard to health cost control.
Hospitals and other providers often use group purchasing organizations to facilitate obtaining goods and services at better prices and other terms. A GAO report looks at some of the business practices of these organizations.
The days shorten but the potpourri stays strong, this week including information on the safety of FDA-cleared devices; medication adherence; genetic tests; the FDA and CMS working together to review products; state all-payer databases and the increasing control of physician practices by hospital systems.
A Congressional Budget Office Report finds that Medicare Part D and its beneficiaries have accrued very significant savings, about 55%, from use of generic drugs and that more savings may be available in the near future.
Two recent publications explore the potential of widespread use of the medical home concept to create better primary care and coordination of overall care for patients, and examine barriers and challenges for adoption.
The Healthy Skeptic is a website about the health care system, and is written by Kevin Roche, who has many years of experience working in the health industry. Mr. Roche is available to assist health care companies through consulting arrangements through Roche Consulting, LLC and may be reached at [email protected].
© 2024 Healthy Skeptic.
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