Research in Health Services and Outcomes Research Methodology compares various care management delivery strategies.
Thank God the election is finally over, but our Potpourri is never-ending, this week bringing you the latest on why comparative effectiveness research results don’t translate to practice, innovations to reduce health spending, the value of medication adherence, factors related to end-of-life quality and MedPAC on new quality measures for avoidable hospital and ER use.
Our latest Potpourri features the comparative cost of cancer care in the US and elsewhere, the effect of genomics on spending, international practice guidelines, state Medicaid waivers, unintended consequences from patient satisfaction efforts and county health rankings.
Spring is in the air but take a few minutes to refresh with our latest Potpourri, which includes the Congressional Budget Office’s latest health reform projections, ER use by those with Medicaid or private insurance coverage, the effect of selective outcomes reporting in research, an AonHewitt survey of employers on exchange use, another CBO report on employer incentives for use of TriCare and physician costs to comply with quality mandates.
One creation of the federal reform law was the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute. The Institute has released a draft of its proposed priorities for research, available for comment by the public. It is sure to stir much discussion among affected audiences.
Another excellent draft report from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality reviews the evidence related to the effects of bundled payments to providers on quality and costs. The evidence, while weak, suggests that utilization and costs decline and quality is not notably affected in either direction.
A new paper discusses the state of shared decision-making, illuminating progress and barriers to use by patients and providers. This approach results in higher-quality care, because it is consistent with patient values and with truly informed patient consent and it may also help reduce spending.
October already!! Our 39th Potpourri of the year has many autumnal pleasures including selections on CMS’ Comprehensive Primary Care Initiative, a proposed guidance for FDA to use for mHealth regulation, end-of-life care discussions, CMS’ multi-payer database award, expected 2012 medical trend, and delivery of unnecessary care by doctors.
As Medicare pays more and more of the nation’s total health bill, its decisions on what products and services it will reimburse for are more significant for vendors and for the growth of the overall health bill. A new RWJ brief examines that coverage process and recommends changes.
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 Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality released a report on the Comparative Effectiveness of Case Management for Adults with Medical Illness and Complex Care Needs. This metareview found limited evidence for positive effects of any care management intervention.