Quality Care: Getting More Bang for the Buck?

November 15, 2013

Health care policy leaders are counting on public and private initiatives, such as paying for performance, to improve value in the health care equation in which cost and quality at times seem to be at odds.

Health care costs are high and quality outcomes are low in several metrics, compared to other developed nations. And, studies have shown that costs vary among states and within states, and that regions with higher costs do not necessarily have higher quality.

This event, sponsored by the nonpartisan Alliance for Health Reform and The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, addressed key questions.

Is it possible to improve quality while lowering costs? Does engaging consumers in their health care decisions improve outcomes? Does it lower costs? What has the Choosing Wisely campaign demonstrated regarding value-based care? Are Medicare innovations leading us toward greater efficiency in health care delivery?

Don Detmer, professor of public health sciences, University of Virginia School of Medicine, and a member of the Institute of Medicine, provided an historical perspective of IOM reports and recommendations regarding quality of care in the U.S.

Richard Baron, president and CEO, American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) and ABIM Foundation, highlighted the workings and findings of the Choosing Wisely campaign, a program of the Foundation using an evidence-based approach to discourage ineffective treatments.

Jennifer Sweeney, director of consumer engagement and community outreach, National Partnership for Women and Families, focused on patient engagement issues and consumer concerns.

Robert Berenson, senior fellow at the Urban Institute, discussed the challenges of measuring quality, and whether current initiatives can deliver on the promise of improving quality while cutting costs.

Ed Howard of the Alliance and Anne Weiss of RWJF co-moderated.

Contact: Marilyn Serafini 202/789-2300 mserafini@allhealth.org

Follow the briefing on twitter: #healthquality

Transcript

Full Transcript (Adobe Acrobat PDF)

Speaker Presentations

Richard Baron Presentation (Adobe Acrobat PDF)
Robert Berenson Presentation (Adobe Acrobat PDF)
Don Detmer Presentation (Adobe Acrobat PDF)
Jennifer Sweeney Presentation (Adobe Acrobat PDF)

Event Details

Agenda (Adobe Acrobat PDF)
Speaker Biographies (Adobe Acrobat PDF)

Event Resources