A new Cochrane Review finds very minimal evidence to suggest that efforts aimed at improving quality of care by creating financial rewards or penalties for primary care physicians are having the desired impact, suggesting caution in implementing the programs until there is further and better quality research.
The evidence continues to pile up that higher provider unit costs in the United States are the primary driver of our much higher than average per capita national health spending. Research published in Health Affairs indicates that our physician costs are higher because physicians charge more than in other countries.
A new paper from the National Bureau of Economics focuses on whether there are aspects of the health insurance market that add to premiums by creating significant inefficiencies in finding the best policy and whether a public insurance option may reduce those inefficiencies.
Fall looms and brings the football season. Our Potpourri scores with nutritious bites of health information, including getting more genetic data into medical records, giving doctors price lists, the value of HIEs, reducing hospital costs, medication continuation after hospitalization and use of episode-based payments.
An Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality technology assessment examines health risk assessment tools, finding that while there are a number of studies, the overall quality is poor and the results provide little guidance for understand if and how HRAs may improve health outcomes.
The medical home concept lumbers on, sometimes mixed in with the accountable care organization notion. The current status of the concept and issues affecting its ultimate impact are assessed in a new report from the Urban Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
The Food & Drug Administration releases its strategic plan for regulatory science, identifying priority areas and implementation strategies for each. How the FDA carries out its strategy over the next few years will greatly affect both the medical products industry and overall health spending.
A dazzling review of recent research and other health related nuggets is presented in this latest Potpourri, including potential problems with evidence-based medicine, physician dilemmas in controlling cost, workers’ compensation medical costs, reducing hospital infections, improving heart attack care and the growth of CDHPs.
The application of theories of consumer buying behavior to Medicare Advantage indicates that having too many plan or benefit design choices may create harder decision-making for seniors, especially those with cognitive difficulties.
Two reports from the Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality detail the use of expensive cancer biologics for Medicare beneficiaries. As for other payers, Medicare expenditures on these compounds has increased rapidly, often for off-label use.
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.
Apple Podcasts
Google Podcasts
Spotify
Overcast
PocketCasts
Radio Public
Stitcher
Anchor
RSS - Posts