Blogs

Allow Physicians To Refocus On Patient Care

January 04, 2017 By James Madara, M.D.

Widespread efforts to use financial incentives to encourage physician compliance with an ever-growing list of box-checking exercises are missing the forest for the trees on health care quality improvement. Qualitative research conducted by the RAND Corp., in partnership with the AMA, shows physicians derive satisfaction from spending more time with their patients and on performing the complex cognitive tasks for which doctors are so well trained.

Maintain Stability In The Exchanges To Avoid Chaos

January 04, 2017 By Ezekiel Emanuel, M.D., Ph.D.

Since the Presidential election, GOP leadership has adopted a “repeal, then replace” approach to Obamacare: quickly pass a repeal bill with a two to three-year delay and draft a replacement bill during a “transition period.” But Republicans cannot count on stability during an interim period.

Prioritize The Consumer Agenda In Healthcare

January 04, 2017 By Drew Altman, Ph.D.

Imagine if your organization changed its business plan completely every four or eight years. That’s what we do on health care costs and we are about to do it again as we switch from an emphasis on Medicare-led payment and delivery reforms to a focus favored by incoming Republicans on high-deductible insurance and capping federal spending in public programs.

Make Value The Priority

January 04, 2017 By Debra Ness

Historically, our health care system has rewarded the delivery of poor quality care. In this kind of system, health care costs continue to rise but patients fail to improve or stay healthy. Women, who require more care over their lifespans and who tend to coordinate care for their families, suffer the most. They disproportionately face the highest costs and unique barriers to care, and have fewer resources.

Create a Chief Experience Officer (CXO) for the Nation

January 04, 2017 By Bridget Duffy, M.D.

In recent years, much of the focus for healthcare transformation has been on utilizing technology and data to improve quality and efficiency. Unfortunately, this shift has frequently come at the expense of more human aspects of the field: the trusted caring relationship between provider and patient. Perhaps the most significant “collateral damage” in this digital health era is the emotional exhaustion and burn out of a generation of physicians, nurses and front line staff.

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